Unexpected
by alex-1310
Summary: This is a continuation of Another Side of Emily, set four years later. Someone is out to seek revenge against members of the BAU, specifically members of the Prentiss-Jareau household.
1. Chapter 1

A/N: Hey guys, I was super psyched about the premiere of Criminal Minds so it motivated me to write this story faster! I have several chapters completed so far and I will update weekly. This is a continuation of _Another Side of Emily_. This story takes place four years after the last one ended.

And just a little fyi I will be writing continuous stories that will go back in time to delve into the lives of Emily and JJ and what transpired in between these four years. I just started writing this story first and wanted to finish it. Then I will hopefully write some stories on the in between years.

Ch 1

Emily and JJ couldn't believe it was summertime again already. They both left work early to pick up the kids from school. It was something that they tried desperately to achieve. Taking the kids to school on their first and last days of school, as well as picking them up on those days. The only problem was that this year the schools had changed their start time, as well as their ending time. The start time worked out fine because there was still enough of a time difference between the elementary school where Henry and Ethan were, to the high school that Declan was at. The problem was the school's got released at the same time. So on a day like today Emily decided she would pick up Declan, while JJ got the other two boys. Next year would prove an even bigger challenge because all three boys would be at a different school.

As Emily sat outside the high school she couldn't help but smile at how wonderful the past four years had been. There had definitely been some trials and tribulations, but she was honestly happier than she had been practically her entire life. The only thing she regretted was that the last four years seemed to fly by. She couldn't believe that Declan was turning sixteen next month. She was brought out of her daze when the passenger door swung open and a wavy blonde headed teenage boy climbed in wearing khaki cargo shorts and a royal blue t-shirt with the DC skateboarding logo on it.

"Hey handsome" she said as she smiled at him

Declan turned to her with a mortified look, "Mom, seriously, don't call me that in public"

Emily bit back a smile as she replied, "Right sorry"

"Can we just go…please" he begged as his blue eyes stared at her

"Of course" she answered as she put the suburban into drive, "So how was the last day?"

"Pointless" he replied as he propped his royal blue and white DC skateboarding shoes onto the dashboard and leaned his head back against the headrest

"Of course it was. Why should I not be surprised" she smiled as she shook her head at him

"JJ picking up the other two?" he asked as he stared straight ahead

Emily nodded, "Which means you and I have toddler duty"

Declan flung his head to the right to get his wavy blonde bangs out of his eyes as he smiled at Emily, "Of course we do"

Emily returned the smile as she turned into the daycare center parking lot. She parked the car before she and Declan got out and headed inside. As Declan held the door open for Emily she marveled at how much he had grown. He now stood as tall as she did, without heels on, topping out at 5'8, a growth spurt that he had hit just in the past year. Emily swore he needed new clothes every week. And she was afraid that he wasn't finished growing. He had also put on a lot of muscle the past year. He was now tall and solid, like Morgan rather than lanky like he had been previously. She smiled and thanked him as they walked inside.

As soon as they walked inside a little girl with blonde pigtails came running up to them.

"Mama" she shouted as she jumped into Emily's arms

"Umph" Emily let out as she caught the flying two year old

"Hi Penny. I missed you" Emily said as she looked into the same blue eyes as JJ

"Miss you" the little girl replied

Emily smiled as she kissed her daughter on the cheek. Then Penny turned and saw Declan and her arms flew out towards him.

"D" she cried as she wiggled to get out of Emily's grasp

Declan held his arms out and took her from Emily.

"Hey brat" he said playfully, causing her to giggle

Emily smiled at the two as she walked up to one of the workers to gather Penny's things.

"Hi Susie" Emily said with a smile as she picked up Penny's baby bag

"Hi Emily" Susie said, returning the smile, "JJ's not with you?"

Emily shook her head as she accepted Penny's blanket from Susie, "She was picking up the other two boys"

"Ah, last day of school" Susie stated as she continued to smile at Emily

"Yep" Emily replied with wide eyes, "I'm not sure if I'm excited or petrified"

Susie laughed as she touched Emily lightly on the elbow before turning to walk with her back over to her kids, "I'm sure it will be a wonderful summer for you guys"

Emily nodded as she stepped up next to Declan. Susie looked at the teenager and smiled, "Hi Declan"

"Hi Mrs. Thomas" he responded with a smile

"You know Emily, you really are lucky. You have a beautiful family" Susie told her

Emily smiled, "Thank you Susie"

"Well you guys have a wonderful summer" Susie said with another smile as Emily and Declan turned to walk out of the daycare center

When they got to the suburban Emily opened the back door behind the driver's seat to put the baby bag in while Declan opened the other door to place Penny in her car seat behind the passenger seat. As Declan was strapping Penny in he looked across the back seat and smiled at Emily.

"What?" she asked as she looked down at her red shirt thinking there was something on her

"You know, I think Susie has a little crush on you" Declan stated

"Excuse me" Emily replied slightly mortified

"Oh come on, she's always all smilie around you and she always has to talk to you about something" he told her

"She's just being friendly" Emily told him

"She's not that friendly with JJ" Declan pointed out, still smiling

"She's married" Emily stated as she glared across the back seat at her son

"Doesn't mean she wouldn't wanna tap that" Declan said as he nodded towards her

Emily's jaw dropped before she said, "Declan Michael Prentiss, you watch your language"

Declan laughed as he shut the back door before climbing into the front seat. Emily then shut the back door on her side before climbing into the driver's side and shutting her door. She started the car before pulling on her seatbelt.

Declan smiled as he pulled his seatbelt around him, saying, "Would it be better if I said that I think she wants to do the pretzel with you"

"Declan!" Emily exclaimed as she turned to find the blonde teenager staring at her with a wide smile

"What?" he replied as he shrugged, "Why is that so hard for you to believe?"

"Declan I am not having this conversation with you" she told him, blushing slightly, as she put the car in reverse and backed out of the parking space

"Okay but I'll just bring it up later" he told her as she pulled out of the daycare parking lot

Emily shook her head at the almost sixteen year old boy. He did have a way of making her talk about things she didn't want to. And they had always had an open and honest relationship. They also liked teasing each other about girls that found Declan attractive and women and men who were obviously attracted to Emily. And this apparently was one of those times.

"Dec I really don't think we should talk about this"

"Oh come on mom. Why is so difficult to for you to believe that you are still attractive" he questioned her as they stopped at a red light

"Declan that's not what this is about" she said as she turned to look at him

"Yes it is. You always get uncomfortable when someone mentions that you are pretty" he told her

"Declan I am forty five years old, I chase bad guys all day and then come home to four kids. How is that attractive" she questioned, playing along with him

"Exactly" he replied as he turned to look at her as he threw his left arm up onto her headrest and throwing his bangs out of his eyes again

Emily stared at him dumbfounded.

"You do all of that which makes you pretty amazing. But you are also still compassionate and loving and hardly ever have a mean thing to say to anyone unless they threaten someone you love. And on top of that you are still beautiful mom, even if you don't think so" he told her sincerely

She studied his face for a moment and could see the truth of what he said in his eyes.

She smiled before she said, "Well I find that pretty stoic of you to admit. You being a teenage boy and all."

"Mom I have friends that have eyes, if you know what I mean" he told her as he gave her a weird look

"Ohhhh" she replied as she caught on and bit her lip to stop from smiling

"Yeah so it would be helpful, if from now on, whenever you and JJ come to any school functions you could wear like super baggy pants and incredibly huge sweatshirts" he told her seriously

"Right" she replied still biting her lip

"It's not funny mom, it's embarrassing when your friends think that your moms are hot" he told her

"Well I'm sorry that we embarrass you" she told him

He rolled his eyes, dropping his hand from her head rest and throwing his head back into his own head rest, "It's not like that. I'm glad you guys are my parents, it's just…not everyone else's parents look like you guys"

Emily nodded, "I'll try to remember that"

"And don't mention the fact that I said you guys were beautiful, EVER, especially in front of my friends…or in public" he told her as he turned to look at her

"Awww you think we are beautiful" she said in a cooing voice as she reached across the seat to brush some of his bangs out of his face

"Mom" he whined as he batted her hand away

She laughed as she put her hand back on the steering wheel, "I'm kidding Dec. Your secret is safe with me okay"

He let out a sigh of relief as he leaned back against the seat again and propped his feet back up on the dash board.

A few minutes later Emily broke the silence saying, "Smilie…really?"

Declan turned to look at Emily as she brought up the earlier conversation. He smiled and nodded.

"Do they not teach you proper English in school? Or do you just choose not to listen?" she asked with a smile as she turned into their neighborhood.

"Neither" he answered, "I listen to everything they say, I just choose when I actually want to put what I've learned into practice"

Emily looked at him as he let out a huge smile before they both burst into laughter.

Emily turned into the driveway of their house, pulling up next to JJ's four runner. They had bought this house three years ago after they talked about adding a baby to the family. Both JJ and Emily fell in love with the early 19th century neighborhood, especially this particular house. It had a huge front yard, as well as a large backyard. It also had a very large front porch with a wooden front porch swing that reminded JJ of the house she grew up in. It was painted an almost gold color with burgundy trim and shutters. The inside still had original wood floors dating back to when the house was built. It had a large fireplace and sitting area that was now open to the kitchen, which had been updated with new stainless steel appliances and dark granite counter tops. The front door was a large wood door with a beautiful glass setting in an oval shape. When you walked through the front door the living room and kitchen are off to the right, while to the left is the staircase, which curves slightly up the stairs. The stairs were wood as was the banister all the way up. You could also get to the kitchen by just walking straight ahead once you come in the front door. The study and extra family room is just to the left of the stairs. When you get to the top of the stairs there's a hallway to the left, where two bedrooms and a bathroom are located. To the right of when you come up the stairs there's a bathroom to the left and then another bedroom. At the end of that hallway, past where the banister ends is the master bedroom with French doors that open onto a small balcony which overlooks the backyard. In every bathroom there is a large claw foot tub, all of which have been updated to showers as well. All of the floors upstairs were also old wooden floors.

As Emily walked into their house Penny practically lept out of her hands as she shouted "Mama"

Emily set her down and made sure the baby gate was across the stairs before she walked through the downstairs rooms looking for JJ.

"JJ" Emily shouted

"No shouting, remember mom" Declan told her, reminding her of when she had told all of the boys to stop shouting for one another a few days ago.

Emily glared slightly at him as she watched him drop his bags in a heap on the floor next to a few other bags at the bottom of the stairs, before he placed his right hand on the banister, leaping easily over the baby gate.

"Yo Dec" she said catching his attention, "The bags belongs in your bedroom"

"Okay but seriously don't ever say yo again, okay" he told her before he smiled and winked at her before grabbing his bags and taking them upstairs

She shook her head as she stood at the bottom of the stairs. Moments later she heard footsteps behind her and she turned to find her skinny brunette preteen son traipsing down the stairs. She shook her head at his attire. He was wearing a brown and khaki plaid button up shirt with a pair of khaki cargo shorts. She looked down and saw that his brown plaid high top converse shoes were untied, the strings dragging the ground. And to top it off he was wearing a brown Flat hat with the lip slightly off centered.

"Hey little man" she said with a smile

"Hey mom" he replied as he stood two steps above her

"What's wrong kid?" she asked as she looked into the same brown eyes as her own

"Nothing"

Emily put her hands on her hips as she stared at her eleven year old son, "Well you're bummed about something"

He shrugged his shoulders before saying, "Well it's summer now and it's gonna be super boring. What are we supposed to do all day?"

"Gee I don't know. Try being a kid…get into trouble…you know the good stuff" she told him with a smile

He rolled his eyes at her, "We can't get into trouble when you aren't here to see it…or yell at us"

"What are you talking about?" she asked

"I just mean you and JJ are going to have work all summer, so it's not like we are gonna get to do anything fun. Jake's parent's are taking him surfing and he said it's gonna be wicked" Ethan told her

Emily cocked her head to the side, "I promise, E, this summer is going to be better. JJ and I are trying to come up with a good vacation to take you kids on"

"You always say that and then you're gone all the time" he told her

"Hey" she said as she lifted his chin so that she was able to look into his eyes again, "We won't be gone all the time"

"You always say that" he told her sadly

Emily's heart broke because she knew that what he said was true.

"I'm sorry E" she told him as she wrapped her arms around his shoulders and pulled him into her

He wrapped his arms around her waist as he rested his head on her shoulder.

"I love you so much little man" she told him

"I know. I love you too" he replied

Emily then pulled back enough to kiss him on the forehead.

"Wanna know how much?" he asked her as he pulled away from her slightly

Emily looked at him confused before she figured it out, but before she could respond he had already grabbed her shoulders and lept over the baby gate, wrapping his arms around her neck and his legs around her waist, his hat falling off in the process. She stumbled backwards but was able to catch herself as she wrapped her arms around his waist.

"Ethan Tyler Prentiss" she said biting back a smile, "How many times do I have to tell you not to do that"

"Aww, come on mom, I know you think it's funny" he said as he leaned back slightly to give her his big Prentiss smile, to which she couldn't resist.

She returned the smile before hugging him tightly just as Declan appeared at the bottom of the stairs, rolling his eyes.

"I'm taking Penny upstairs to JJ" he told Emily as he picked up the two year old who had been sitting on the floor after not being able to find her blonde mother

"Okay, you sure you don't want in on this?" Emily laughed

"Uh, no, I think I'm good" he replied with a smile as he stepped over the gate and carried the girl upstairs.

"Okay kid" Emily said to Ethan

He smiled as he jumped off of her, now barely standing chest level with her. She ruffled his straight brown hair, which this past year had seemed to not be as thick as it had been when he was younger. Whereas before it would curl up on the ends past his ears, the way Declan's still did, Ethan's now hung perfectly straight.

"Where's your brother?" Emily asked as Ethan picked up his hat, replacing it on his head before walking towards the kitchen

"You just saw him" he pointed out

"Funny. I meant your little brother" she stated as she rolled her eyes as her son

"Upstairs" Ethan responded before he disappeared into the kitchen

Emily turned and stepped over the mound of bags on the floor before stepping over the baby gate and walking up the stairs.

As Emily headed up the stairs she could hear giggling coming from her and JJ's bedroom. When she got to the top she turned to the right and walked down the hall to peek her head into the master bedroom and found JJ tickling Penny on the bed. She smiled before she turned around looking for the one remaining child she had not seen.

She got to the other end of the hallway where his bedroom was and saw that his door was half way open so she swung it open the rest of the way. As soon as she did a soccer ball came flying at her face. Luckily she was quick enough to dodge it, but the picture behind her wasn't as lucky. Henry immediately covered his mouth with his hands, his light brown eyes wide in terror.

"Well hello there my handsome little man" she said with a smile

"Hi Mama Em" he replied with his hands still over his mouth

"Henry I can't understand you when you talk like that" she told the seven year old

He removed his hands and looked down at the floor. Emily walked up to him and removed the black baseball cap that he had on backwards, before brushing some of the sandy blonde hair out of his eyes. Then she knelt down so that she could look him in the eyes. She smiled noticing that he was wearing almost the exact same outfit as Declan. He was sporting a royal blue DC t-shirt and khaki cargo shorts. The difference was he was wearing a pair of black plaid high top converse shoes.

"So Henry remind me of what the rules in the house are regarding sports" she asked

He sucked in both of his lips before answering, "No playing any sports in the house without permission"

"And without your mom" she smiled as she grabbed him around the waist and flung him over her shoulder, running out of the room and getting the soccer ball before kicking it back into his room.

Henry laughed hysterically as she tossed him onto the top bunk before running back to get the ball. He shouted as he jumped down and ran over to her trying to get the ball from her feet. Moments later JJ was standing in the doorway with one hand on her hip and the other holding Penny as Henry tackled Emily to the ground. Emily looked up as she lay on her back with Henry on top of her, both of them laughing.

"Hey JJ" Emily said as she looked up at her

"Are you two enjoying yourselves?" she asked

"As a matter of fact, yes" Emily told her with a smile

JJ rolled her eyes and shook her head as she smiled, "Sometimes I feel like I have five children instead of four"

"But you wouldn't have it any other way" Emily told her, returning the smile as she sat up, taking Henry with her

"Maybe" JJ replied jokingly

Emily stood up from the floor, still holding onto Henry as she walked up to JJ and kissed her on the lips.

Henry covered his eyes saying, "Gross"

"Don't worry babe, I know the real reason you keep me around, and I'm okay with that" Emily told her with a wink

JJ blushed as she watched Emily set Henry back down.

"Dinner in two hours" Emily told the seven year old as she replaced his backwards hat before walking out of the bedroom, brushing against JJ as she did

JJ smiled as she turned and followed Emily back downstairs. She placed Penny in her playpen before following Emily into the large kitchen.

"Ethan Prentiss, what are you doing?" Emily questioned the eleven year old

JJ walked in at that moment to find the eleven year old brunette boy eating a large chocolate sundae with m &m's on top. She had to bite back a smile as she watched the interchange between the two and the fact that Ethan was giving Emily the same look Emily gave JJ the night before when she had found Emily eating the exact same thing at 2am.

"I was hungry" he stated obviously

Emily rolled her eyes at the preteen, "You act like we don't feed you. Dinner will be in a couple of hours"

"But that's too long. I was hungry now. Trust me mom I'll be hungry again in a couple of hours" he told her

Emily shook her head as she replied, "At the rate you and Dec are going we are going to be out of food by tomorrow"

Ethan smiled as he took another large bite of the sundae.

"Are you really going to continue to eat that?" JJ said, jumping into the conversation

"What else am I supposed to do?" he questioned, "You guys don't like it when we waste food"

JJ smiled at his remark, "Well can't you just put it in the freezer for later?"

Emily and Ethan both stared at JJ like she was crazy.

"What?" JJ asked looking from one to the other

"You cannot just put an already made sundae back in the freezer" Emily told her, flabbergasted that she would suggest such a thing

"Ya JJ it's totally not the same" Ethan added with his mouth full as he stared at his blonde mother

"Okay I'm sorry I suggested it" JJ said throwing up her hands with a smile

Emily then took out a spoon and walked over to the island to sit next to Ethan, sticking her spoon in his sundae and taking a bite.

"Mmm, that's good, but it could use some more chocolate syrup" she stated as she got up and retrieved the bottle out of the fridge

JJ stared at Emily with her mouth open, "Honey, weren't you just telling him not to eat that before dinner"

Emily squeezed more chocolate onto the sundae before setting down the bottle and spooning another big bite into her mouth.

"Yes but like he said we can't let it go to waste" she told JJ with her mouth full

"Right" JJ said as she turned to grab a glass of wine

Not a minute later Declan came into the kitchen and his eyes lit up, "Chocolate sundae"

He walked up to the island and grabbed Ethan's spoon out of his hand, shoving a huge bite into his mouth.

"Mmmm, that's good" he stated with his mouth full

"Well at least I know where you two learned your manners" JJ said as she glared at Emily

"Hey that's my spoon" Ethan stated as he reached over and took it back out of Declan's hand

Declan then attempted to take Emily's but she pulled her hand away saying, "No way kid, get your own spoon"

"But it's my sundae" Ethan said in a whining voice

JJ and Emily both stared at him before Emily said, "Are you seven or eleven? Besides if you decide to eat something like this before dinner then this is what will happen"

"Man this sucks eggs" Ethan said as he watched Declan and Emily dig another spoonful out of his sundae

Ethan then shrugged and dug his own spoon in for another big bite. Not two seconds later all three of them dropped their spoons and grabbed their head.

"Brain freeze" they all said simultaneously

JJ rolled her eyes and laughed at the three of them just as Henry came into the room.

"What's going on?" he asked as he stared at Emily and his two brothers

"Your mama Em and brothers are crazy" JJ told him as she walked over to her seven year old and patted the ball cap on his head

"Is that ice cream?" he questioned with a smile

"Yes and you do not need any" JJ told him

"But they are eating it" he pointed out as he looked sadly up at JJ

"Why do I even bother" she said right before he ran over and climbed up on Emily's lap

JJ watched as Emily handed him her spoon and he scooped up a heaping amount of sundae before shoving it in his mouth, getting most of it on his face rather that inside his mouth and she couldn't help but roll her eyes and shake her head before walking out of the kitchen and back into the living room, picking Penny up out of her playpen and sitting down on the floor with her.

"I think we are greatly outnumbered baby girl" JJ said to the two year old with a smile

"Promise me you will have better manners than your mother and brothers" she said looking at the two year old

"Okay mama" the blonde girl said before going back to playing with her toys

JJ smiled as she sat and watched her daughter, as she also listened to the laughter that would echo from the kitchen occasionally.

A/N: Let me know what you guys think. The first few chapters will deal mainly with the family before I get into the suspenseful chapters which will deal with someone trying to get revenge on members of the BAU team!


	2. Chapter 2

Ch. 2

Later that night after dinner Emily and JJ put Penny to bed before coming downstairs and watching a movie with the boys. Emily and JJ sat on the couch while all the boys sprawled out on pillows and bean bags on the floor. But halfway through the movie Ethan and Henry had joined their mothers on the couch. Ethan laid his head into JJ's arm as he let his feet stick out and dangle over the arm rest, while Henry placed his head in Emily's lap and curled up in a ball next to her. Declan remained on the floor setting up all the bean bags and pillows to form a nice bed for him. By the time the movie was over Henry and Declan were asleep. Ethan was awake and fighting sleep. JJ helped him sit up on the couch.

"You going to make it upstairs E?" JJ asked

"Yeah mama" he replied sleepily as he stood up and stumbled through the living room

He made it almost to the stairs when he tripped over the mound of bags on the floor. He tried to catch himself from falling but was not very successful as he hit the hardwood floor with a thud.

"Umphh" he cried as his body connected with the floor

Emily had just stood up with Henry in her arms when she heard the thud. JJ rushed over to the eleven year old as she helped him up.

"You okay E" she asked as she looked him up and down

He nodded.

"Stupid bags" he replied as he kicked them with his foot before replying "Ouch" and jumping up and down on one foot

"If you guys would learn to pick up your bags that wouldn't have happened" Emily told him as she walked up to him and JJ

"Thanks for your concern mom, I'm fine" he told her sarcastically

Emily stared at her son before wrapping one arm around his shoulders to guide him up the stairs as she carried Henry with her other arm.

JJ shook her head as she turned back around and headed over to the sleeping teenage boy. She bent down next to Declan and brushed some of his long blonde bangs out of his eyes. She smiled as she brushed her fingers across his cheek. Then she shook him gently.

"Declan" she said as she continued to shake the almost sixteen year old

"Dec" she said again

He jerked his head up that time and blue eyes met blue. He relaxed when he saw that it was JJ.

"Sorry D, you fell asleep" she told him as she brushed more of his hair back

"Everyone's going to bed" she said as she stood back up

He groaned as he flopped his face back down into the bean bag before sighing and pushing himself up off of his makeshift bed. He yawned as he stood up next to JJ. He was just a couple of inches taller than her now when she didn't have her shoes on. He threw his arm around her shoulders as he attempted to lean on her a little bit.

"Declan you know you are bigger than me now right?" she told him

He smiled down at her and nodded, "But I'm tired"

"Well neither of us will make it up the stairs at this rate" she replied with a smile

He stopped leaning on her but kept his arm around her shoulders as they walked towards the stairs. JJ then wrapped her arm around his waist as they began to ascend the stairs. When they got to the top Declan released JJ as he turned to head down the hall to his room. But he stopped and turned back around, walking back up to JJ and leaning down slightly to kiss her on the cheek.

"Night mom" he said as he turned to head back to his room

"Night Declan. I love you" she said as he walked away

"Love you too" he replied before entering his room and shutting the door

JJ started to head to her bedroom but then turned and headed down the same hall Declan just had. She stopped at the door a little before Declan's and walked into her other son's bedroom. She smiled as she saw Emily tucking Henry into bed and continued to watch as Emily bent over kissing him on the cheek. Then she stood up and pulled the covers over Ethan on the top bunk, before kissing him on the cheek as well. When she turned around she gasped when she saw JJ standing there.

"Sorry" JJ said as she held up her hands

"It's okay I just didn't expect you to be standing there" Emily told her with a smile

"I'm just going to kiss them goodnight and then maybe I will kiss you goodnight" JJ told her with a wink

Emily smiled as she nodded walking up to JJ, "That sounds wonderful. I'm just going to tell Declan goodnight"

JJ nodded as she and Emily passed each other squeezing each other's hands as they passed.

JJ bent down kissing Henry before standing on the bed frame to kiss Ethan on the top bunk.

Meanwhile Emily had knocked on Declan's door but received no answer, so she cracked the door and found him sprawled across his bed on top of the covers. Emily smiled as she walked in and walked up to his bed. She grabbed a blanket that was bunched at the bottom of his bed and covered him up with it before leaning over, brushing some of his wavy bangs out of his face and kissing him on the cheek.

A few hours later JJ woke up and sat up in bed. She looked to her left and saw that Emily was sound asleep, sprawled out on her stomach, her bare back showing because the sheet only covered to her waist. She smiled at the brunette woman as she started to pull the sheet up further over her. But then she heard a noise, the same noise she could of sworn woke her up in the first place. It sounded like a door. She picked up the baby monitor listening closely, but then she heard it again and knew it had not come across the monitor. She threw the covers off of her before grabbing her blue silk robe and wrapping it tightly around her.

JJ then walked quietly out of her bedroom and peered over the banister, looking downstairs. She didn't see anything and then she heard another noise coming from the other end of the hallway. She walked down to the other end of the hall, where the boys' rooms were. That's when she noticed the bathroom light on and the door shut. She knocked lightly on the door but received no answer.

She knocked again before saying, "Hey it's JJ"

A moment later she received an answer, "Mom"

JJ recognized the voice as Ethan's, "Ethan, honey, are you okay?"

"No. I don't feel so good" he said from the other side of the door

JJ then opened the bathroom door to find her eleven year old son on his knees hunched over the toilet.

"Ethan" she exclaimed as she rushed over to him, kneeling down beside him and brushing his bangs out of his eyes to feel his forehead

"Baby why didn't wake us up?" she asked him

"I didn't want to bother you" he told her as he turned to look at her

JJ's heart broke as she noticed his skin paler than usual, "Sweetie you aren't bothering us. We love you"

He nodded before turning quickly back to the toilet and throwing up again. JJ rubbed his back as he continued to hover over the toilet. Then she stood up and walked over to the sink, grabbing two wash cloths and running cool water over them. She then walked back over to him and knelt down beside him. She took one wash cloth and wiped his mouth before setting it down on the toilet seat. Then she took the other wash cloth and ran it over the rest of his face and his forehead, wiping his bangs back in the process.

"Does that feel okay?" she asked as she moved the wash cloth to the back of his neck

He nodded slowly before leaning into her. JJ wrapped her arms around him as she pulled him into her lap. He rested his head on her chest and she could feel the heat radiating off of him.

"How long have you been up?" she asked him as she continued to wipe his face and neck with the wash cloth

"About an hour I guess" he told her quietly

"Have you been throwing up the whole time?" she asked him

He nodded, "Yeah, about every fifteen or twenty minutes. But I think it's getting worse"

"Oh E I wish you would have woken us up" she told him as she held him

"I thought I could handle it" he answered

"Of course you did" JJ said shaking her head, "You're exactly like your mother"

"Most people say I look like Emily" he joked

JJ smiled, "See, exactly like her, even trying to joke around when you're sick"

JJ could feel him smile right before he practically jumped out of her arms to lean over the toilet again, releasing more from his stomach. JJ moved to kneel behind him, rubbing his back and grabbing the other wash cloth off of the side of the toilet. When Ethan felt like he was finished he leaned back slightly and JJ wiped his mouth before replacing the cloth on the toilet. Then she took the other wash cloth and began wiping over his face and neck before placing it on his forehead as he finally leaned back into her chest. JJ scooted a little further back so that her back was against the wall, then she pulled Ethan with her so that his back was against her chest, making sure the wash cloth was on his forehead. She rubbed her hand down his arm and she felt him take her hand in his and squeeze it.

They laid like that for awhile until JJ felt Ethan's breathing even out. She looked down at him and saw that his eyes were closed. JJ then leaned her head back against the wall and closed her eyes as well, as she held onto her son.

About an hour later Emily woke up and rolled over finding an empty bed. She turned her head back to her nightstand where the clock read 330am. She blinked her eyes a few times as she tried to wake up. Then she sat up and looked towards their bathroom, she didn't see JJ in there so she sat up and grabbed her red silk robe before wrapping it around her and walking around the bed towards the door. She opened it and walked out thinking she would check Penny's room first, but as soon as she stepped into the hall she saw a light on in the boy's bathroom at the other end of the hall.

She walked down the hall to the bathroom and when she looked into the bathroom she found JJ laying on the floor leaning against the wall, with Ethan leaning against her and both of them fast asleep. Just as she was about to walk into the bathroom she heard a noise coming from one of the bedrooms. So she turned and walked further down the hallway, stopping outside Ethan and Henry's room. She opened the door and found Henry sitting up in bed.

She walked inside the room, "Henry are you okay?"

"I'm sorry mama" he said quietly

"For what baby?" she asked as she flipped on the desk light before walking over to him

As she got to the bed she could smell something foul and then she noticed that Henry must have thrown up all over himself and his sheets.

"Oh sweetie, what's wrong?" she asked as she knelt beside his bed

He shrugged, "I don't feel good"

Emily nodded as she felt the boy's head.

"I tried to wake Ethan but he didn't answer" Henry told her as she pulled her hand away from his head

"That's because he's in the bathroom. I don't think he's feeling too good either" she told Henry

She stood up and went over to his dresser, grabbing a new pair of pajamas. Then she turned back and walked over to him.

"Come here buddy" she said holding out her hands

He crawled across the bed and held out his hands as she picked him up off the bottom bunk before turning and walking out of the bathroom. She carried him down the hall past his bathroom and back to her bedroom. She walked into her bathroom and turned on the light setting him down on the floor as she began to peel of his shirt. He held onto her shoulders as she knelt in front of him pulling his shorts down as well. She looked up at him and saw his face growing pale.

"H?" she questioned

She knew what was coming so she picked him up quickly and took him over to the toilet getting him there and turned around just as he began to throw up again. She rubbed his back as he continued to throw up. When he was finished he grabbed his tummy and started to cry.

"Oh baby" Emily said as she reached around him to flush the toilet.

Then she picked him up and set him on the counter getting out a washcloth and wetting it before wiping down his face with it. Then she wet another cloth and held it against his forehead before picking him up and sitting down on the toilet seat with him in her lap.

"Shhhh, it's okay baby, I've got you" Emily said as she held him

He began to settle down a bit so Emily got up and grabbed his clean pajamas off the bed before walking into her bedroom and sitting down on the bed with him. Then she set him down and helped him step into a new pair of shorts.

"I'm just going to leave your shirt off okay Henry" she told him

He nodded as she picked him back up and she could feel how warm he was. She pulled back the sheets on JJ's side and crawled into bed with Henry. She laid on her back, with Henry practically on top of her. She continued to rub his back to help him fall asleep. Sometime later she looked at him and could tell he was asleep. She eased him off of her before slipping out of bed and heading back down the hall.

She got to the other bathroom and found Ethan and JJ in the same position. She walked into the bathroom and knelt down beside JJ. She brushed some of the blonde hair out of her face before shaking her lightly.

"JJ" she said quietly

The blonde woke up and saw Emily staring at her before she looked back down at Ethan, remembering the events from earlier.

"Hey" JJ said with a half smile

"Hey" Emily said with a raised eyebrow as she cocked her head to the side

"So Ethan's sick" JJ stated

"Yeah so is Henry" Emily told her

"Really?" she asked concerned

"Yeah I came looking for you about an hour ago and then I heard Henry and went in to check on him and he had gotten sick all over his bed" Emily told her

"Oh no"

"Yeah I cleaned him up and he's in our bed sleeping right now. I figured I'd wake you guys up so you aren't sore in the morning."

JJ nodded as she shifted slightly.

"Why don't you get Ethan to our room. I'm going to get the sheets off of both their beds and put a load in the washer" Emily told JJ

JJ nodded again as she watched Emily stand back up before turning back to her, "How long were you up with him?"

"I don't know…awhile"JJ answered

"I didn't even hear you get up" Emily stated sadly

JJ smiled, "It's okay Em. I'm just glad you're sleeping better"

Emily nodded slightly before turning and heading out of the bathroom back to the boy's room. JJ then moved Ethan forward enough for her to get an arm under his shoulders and another under his knees. Then she took a deep breath and stood up with Ethan in her arms. She was thankful at that time that he was still small and thin. She squeezed herself and Ethan through the door as she walked down the hall towards her bedroom.

Emily came out of the boys' bedroom at that time with all of their bedding. She dropped it at the top of the stairs remembering Henry's pajamas so she headed back to her and JJ"s bedroom. She walked in and found JJ laying Ethan down next to Henry.

"Jayje you didn't have to carry him in here" Emily told her as she walked by to go into their bathroom

"I know but he's sick and luckily he's still light enough for me to carry" JJ told her with a smile

Emily came back out of the bathroom with Henry's pajamas and JJ stopped her, "Em you might want to throw your robe in also"

Emily looked down and saw some leftover stuff from Henry, "Oh God, I think I am going to be sick"

"Emily we see dead bodies all the time and you are going to be sick over something your son got on you?" she questioned with a smile

But Emily turned and ran into the bathroom, shutting the door behind her before throwing up herself. She came out a few moments later and walked over to her dresser grabbing a pair of shorts and a shirt before going back in the bathroom and changing. She came back out with her robe in her hand and picked up Henry's pajamas before heading out the bathroom to take the rest of the stuff down to the laundry room.

JJ shook her head at Emily before walking into the bathroom and getting two new wash cloths, wetting them, grabbing a thermometer and walking back over to the bed. She sat down next to Ethan, leaning over him to feel Henry, who was still warm. She stuck the thermometer in his ear and waited for it to beep. When she looked at it she saw that it read 101.

"Oh Henry" she said sadly as she stroked his cheek

She took one of the wash cloths and rubbed his forehead as he lay facing the opposite direction. She laid it across his forehead the best that she could before feeling Ethan again. He seemed to be hotter than Henry and that worried JJ. She stuck the thermometer in his ear and waited until it finally beeped. She looked at it and it read 103. Her eyes grew wide and heart started racing. She took the other wash cloth and ran it across his face and forehead, wiping his bangs again out of his face. His eyes shot open at that time and JJ jumped.

"E, are you okay?" she asked

He shook his head as he sat up, causing JJ to stand up, before he tried running to the bathroom, but tripped and fell on the way. JJ ran to him, grabbing him under his arms and getting him to his feet as she helped him get to the bathroom. She threw the lid up just as Ethan leaned forward vomiting yet again. JJ helped him slide to the floor and rubbed his back just as she had before. Once he was finished he leaned into her chest again and was fighting the urge to cry.

"I want it to go away mama" he said sadly

"I know baby" she said sympathetically as she ran her fingers through his soft hair

"It hurts" he told her

"What hurts?" she asked as she moved her hand from his hair to his back

"My tummy…and head…everything" he stated as he bit his bottom lip

"I'm so sorry sweetie" she told him as she rubbed his back, "It's okay to cry"

"I don't want to cry" he told her as he fought the tears

"Okay, but if you wanted to it would be okay. And I promise not tell anyone" JJ said as she continued to rub his back

He nodded, but still refused to cry. JJ marveled at how much he was like Emily. They were both so sensitive but would always try to fight their emotions and JJ still didn't understand it. She knew several times she could see that Emily wanted to cry but she would fight it. She would chew on her bottom lip or on her nails, the same habits that Ethan had also when it came to emotions. They were alike in almost every way, from their looks down to their personality. They were both kind, sensitive, witty, and yes a bit nerdy but JJ loved everything about them.

A few minutes later Ethan made a move towards the toilet again and JJ was behind him rubbing his back. Once he was finished he leaned back into JJ again and she wiped his face as she held him.

About a minute later Emily walked in and found them on the floor of the bathroom. She walked around to the other side of them so that she could see Ethan. She knelt down in front of him and brushed a few stray hairs out of his face. She could see how much paler he was than usual and her heart broke.

"Hey baby"

"Hey mama" he said quietly with a small smile

She smiled back as she felt his forehead, "What's wrong?"

He shrugged, "Everything hurts"

"You're burning up" she stated as she looked over his head to JJ

She nodded before saying, "I took their temperatures. He's 103 and Henry's 101."

Emily's eyes grew wide, "We need to call a doctor"

JJ nodded, "You want to sit with him and I'll call or-"

"No" Ethan practically shouted as he clung to JJ, "Don't leave me"

He turned to look at Emily, "Can JJ please stay with me? I don't wanna move"

Emily nodded sadly as she leaned forward and kissed his forehead before standing up. She walked out of the bedroom and over to the nightstand grabbing her phone and calling their emergency on call doctor. It took about ten minutes before she got hold of anyone and by that time Henry was waking up in bed. Emily told the doctor what was going on as she sat down beside Henry. She was listening to the doctor when she noticed the look on Henry's face. She immediately picked him up and ran into the bathroom, stepping over Ethan and JJ to get to the toilet. She once again made it just in time as she squatted behind the seven year old as he leaned over the toilet. After he finished he sat back into Emily causing her to lose her balance and fall backwards taking Henry with her. She luckily landed on her butt and Henry landed on her lap.

"You okay baby?" she asked as she held him

He nodded slowly as she shifted him so that he was sitting sideways in her lap and he could lean into her chest. She then finished the conversation with the doctor before hanging up, dropping her phone to the floor.

"What did he say?" JJ asked in a concerned voice

"He said there was a nasty bug going around with similar symptoms of the flu, but there isn't really anything we can do but ride it out"

"But the fevers?"

"He said just keep an eye on them and if their fever gets up to 104 then take them to the ER"

"But Ethan's is already close to that" JJ said in a worried voice

"I know so we just need to keep an eye on him" Emily said trying to remain calm even though she was freaking out on the inside

JJ nodded as she looked back down at Ethan who had closed his eyes and was resting against her chest. She wiped his face again with the washcloth before placing it over his forehead again.

Emily then looked down at Henry and saw that he had fallen asleep again. So she stood up with Henry in her arms and stepped over JJ and Ethan to walk out of the bathroom and over to her bed. She pulled back the covers and laid Henry down before pulling the sheet up over him. Then she walked back into the bathroom and squatted in front of Ethan and JJ. She reached out and grabbed Ethan under the arms, carefully lifting him up. She felt him wrap his arms around her neck as she stood up and carried him to the other side of the bed as JJ followed her. JJ pulled back the covers and watched as Emily laid Ethan down as carefully as possible before pulling the sheets up around him.

Emily turned to look at JJ, reaching out and taking the blonde's hand in her own, before pulling her towards her and kissing her forehead. JJ leaned into Emily as they stood with their foreheads pressed together.

"This has been a long night" JJ stated

"And unfortunately I think it's just getting started" Emily added

"Did the doctor say how long this would last?" JJ asked as she pulled away from Emily

"He said about three to five days" Emily answered

"What a way for them to start their summer vacation" JJ said

Emily nodded before walking around the bed towards the hallway, "I'm going to peek in on Declan and then go change the laundry"

JJ nodded as she watched Emily walk out of the room.

Emily opened Declan's door and looked in, finding the teenager still sound asleep in almost the same position he had originally been in. She smiled before she quietly shut the door and headed down the stairs. She stepped around the pile of bags on the floor as she headed to the laundry room. Once she was finished she headed into the kitchen where she found JJ getting some water.

"I was thirsty" she stated as Emily came into the kitchen

Emily nodded as she got herself a glass of water also. A few minutes later they heard a noise upstairs and they both rushed out of the kitchen towards the stairs. Emily was just ahead of JJ and right before she got to the stairs she tripped over the pile of bags that she had managed to avoid earlier.

"Dammit" she said as she hit the floor with a thud

JJ tried not to laugh, but she fell almost the exact same way Ethan had earlier that night. As Emily pushed herself up off of the floor she kicked the bags.

"Stupid bags" she said before grabbing her foot and jumping up and down on the other foot, "Ouch"

"Wow, this is like total de ja vu for me babe" JJ said from behind Emily

"What?" Emily snapped as she carefully set her foot back down

"Ethan did the exact same thing nearly eight hours ago" JJ stated

"Well if you guys would pick up your bags this wouldn't happen" Emily said in a slightly raised voice as she stepped over the bags

"Excuse me" JJ said as she followed Emily up the stairs

"JJ your bag is in that pile. I saw it when I walked through the door" Emily said turning to look at JJ

"I…uh…I'm sorry Em" JJ said sympathetically

"It's okay Jayje" Emily told her right before they heard more noise coming from upstairs

Emily and JJ took off running the rest of the way up the stairs and into their bedroom finding their bed empty. As they headed into the bathroom they found Ethan standing beside Henry who was bent over the toilet. They also found that someone did not quite make it all the way to the toilet.

"I'm sorry. I tried to help him make it" Ethan said, talking about Henry

"It's okay baby" Emily said as she walked up to the boys with JJ behind her

"Are you okay Ethan?" Emily asked as she brushed some hair out of his face

He nodded slowly before turning to lean into Emily.

"Okay well then let's get you back to bed, okay" she told him

He nodded again as he turned away from Henry. Emily bent down and grabbed him under his arms again as she lifted him up and carried him out of the bathroom.

"I can walk mama" he said unconvincingly

"I know sweetie" she replied as she entered the bedroom and walked back over to the bed carefully laying him down

She kissed him on the head before standing up. As she was about to walk away he grabbed her hand.

"Don't leave me" he said in a worried voice

"I'm not baby. I'm just going to clean up the bathroom and then I'll be right back. Okay" she told him as she ran her fingers through his hair

He nodded as he slowly let go of her hand.

She then walked into the bathroom and grabbed some towels to clean up the floor. She looked over at Henry and JJ and found JJ wiping him down with a wash cloth before picking him and carrying him out of the bathroom. Emily then threw the towels in the corner of the bathroom, knowing there would probably be more laundry to come soon.

She walked back into the bedroom to find JJ crawling into bed beside Henry. So Emily walked over to her side of the bed and climbed over Ethan before laying on her back. Ethan then turned onto his right side and laid his head on Emily's chest as he snuggled into her side.

Around 5:30am Emily woke up finding Ethan asleep beside her. Emily cursed to herself because she knew she had just laid down less than thirty minutes ago. She sat up and looked over at JJ finding her facing the other direction with Henry curled into her. As she was about to lay down she heard a noise coming from down the hall. She carefully crawled out of bed, realizing as soon as she stood up how light headed she was. She shook it off as she headed out of her bedroom.

As she walked down the hallway she saw the light on in the boy's bathroom so she stopped outside the door and knocked lightly. When she received no answer she knocked again. When she didn't receive an answer that time she opened the door slowly, peeking inside. As she did she noticed a body curled up on the floor. She opened the door wider and found Declan laying on the floor, using some towels as a makeshift pillow. Emily immediately rushed inside and knelt down next to the teenage boy.

"Declan" she said as she shook him

His only response was to moan slightly. Emily felt his forehead and he was burning up. She stood up and grabbed a washcloth off of the sink, wetting it, and then kneeling back down beside Declan. She began wiping down his face and he slowly opened his eyes.

"Hey handsome" she said with a smile

"Mom?" he questioned as his eyes struggled to focus

"Yeah sweetie, it's me" she told him as she used the wash cloth to wipe his hair out of his face

He attempted to sit up and soon as he did he turned quickly towards the toilet, throwing up. Emily's heart broke as she rubbed his back to help comfort him. Once he was finished he attempted to stand up.

"Declan, you probably shouldn't move" Emily said taking his arm and helping him up

"I'm okay" he told her unconvincingly as he moved towards the sink

She stood beside him with one arm around his waist as he rinsed his mouth out with water. He leaned all his weight onto the counter as he closed his eyes.

"Declan, are you okay?" Emily asked as she held onto him tighter

He nodded slowly as he turned to try to walk out of the bathroom, "Need to lay down" he said quietly

Emily helped him walk back to his room and helped him lay back down in bed. She then took the washcloth and wiped his face down with it before placing it on his forehead.

"I'm going to get the thermometer, honey, I'll be right back" she told him as she turned and walked out of his room back to her own bedroom.

She grabbed the thermometer and walked back to Declan's room. She stuck the thermometer in his ear and waited until it beeped. She looked at the number and saw that it read 103 and her heart began to race.

"Declan sweetie, you want to come to my room. The other boy's are in there with us because they are sick also" she told him as she set down on the edge of his bed

He opened his eyes slightly as he looked at her, "I'm not a baby. I'll be fine"

"Declan" Emily pleaded

"Mom, really, I'm fine. I just need to sleep" he told her as he closed his eyes

Emily sighed knowing she couldn't convince the teenager at this point. She wiped his face one more time with the wash cloth before replacing it on his forehead.

"Okay, well, if you change your mind you know where we will be" she told him as she stood up and left his room.

As she walked back down the hallway she stopped at Penny's room, peeking in to check on her. She saw that she was still sleeping peacefully so continued on to her bedroom. When she entered her room she saw that JJ was up with Henry again in the bathroom. Emily was about to check on them when she started feeling queasy herself. She sat down on the edge of the bed and took a deep breath. Then it hit her, she jumped off the bed, covering her mouth and darting out of the bedroom and to the extra bathroom next to Penny's room. Emily shut the door before hunching over the toilet and throwing up herself. Once she was finished she rinsed her mouth out with water before wiping down her face.

Emily walked back into the bedroom and found JJ putting Henry back to bed, she turned to look at Emily and JJ cocked her head.

" Em are you okay?" JJ asked once she had covered Henry up

Emily nodded as she walked into the bathroom picking up her phone off the floor. When she walked back into the bedroom she looked at JJ.

"Declan is sick too. I'm going to call Pen and see if she will come get Penny. Maybe we can at least save her from getting sick" Emily stated as she dialed Garcia's number

JJ nodded as she sat on the edge of the bed, next to Henry. Once she hung up she turned back around to look at JJ.

"You should get some rest. I think we are both going to need as much as we can get" Emily told the blonde as she walked towards the door.

"Where are you going?" JJ asked

"To change the laundry. Garcia said she would be here in about half an hour to pick up Penny" Emily said as she walked out of the bedroom and down the stairs.

When she made it downstairs she stopped and leaned against the wall when she started feeling sick again. Then she turned and ran to the half bath that was located downstairs. When she finally came out of the bathroom she headed to the laundry room and changed out the loads. Then she sat down on the couch for awhile to wait for Garcia. Finally there was a knock on the front door. Emily got up to answer it and found Garcia on the other side with mask over her nose and mouth and Emily couldn't help but smile.

"Garcia" Emily said as she opened the door for her

Garcia came in and looked Emily up and down, "Long night?"

Emily nodded before asking, "What's this?" and pointing to her face

"Don't get me wrong princess Prentiss I love you but I refuse to get sick" Garcia answered

Emily nodded, "Well no one has been in Penny's room tonight, so hopefully she is okay"

Garcia nodded, "You wait here and I will gather my precious mini JJ"

Emily smiled as she watched Garcia rush up the stairs. About ten minutes later she came back down the stairs and Emily rolled her eyes. Garcia had placed a mask around Penny's nose and mouth as well.

"Garcia don't you think there are already germs on her?" Emily asked as she made it to the front door

"Yes but that's why Derek is waiting in the car with antibacterial lotion and when I get home miss Penny here is getting a bath"

"Okay, thanks Garcia" Emily said as she opened the door

Emily tried to lean down and kiss Penny on the head but Garcia jumped out of reach, "I don't think so kitten, no spreading germs"

And with that Garcia was gone and heading down the front porch steps. Emily shook her head as she shut and locked the door behind her. Then Emily felt a wave of nausea again and turned to head to the bathroom downstairs. This time when she came out JJ was standing there with her arms crossed.

"Hey JJ" Emily said trying to act nonchalant

"How long have you been sick?" JJ asked

"What?" Emily said as she walked around JJ, trying to ignore the question

"I'm serious Em, how long have you been sick?"

"JJ I'm fine" Emily said as she headed up the stairs

"You are not fine Emily. You are paler than usual and it looks like you are sweating" JJ pointed out as they got to the top of the stairs

Their argument was interrupted by Declan rushing into the bathroom. Emily immediately turned to head into the bathroom to check on him. He had just finished emptying the contents of his stomach and had leaned against the wall. Emily grabbed the washcloth on the sink and knelt down beside him to wipe his face, while JJ stood in the doorway. Unfortunately once Emily's senses detected what had happened in the bathroom, she felt her stomach roll. She immediately crawled over Declan's legs to empty her stomach into the toilet as well.

"Oh baby" JJ said as she walked up and knelt beside Emily, holding her hair back for her

When Emily finished she sat back slightly as she turned to look at JJ, "I'm okay"

JJ shook her head, "No you aren't"

JJ then felt Emily's head and could feel how warm she was. Then she turned and looked at Declan who was still leaning against the wall.

"Okay who wants to move first?" JJ asked looking from one to the other

"I am fine JJ. I can walk" Emily said as she forced herself to her feet

"Me too" Declan said as she pushed himself up against the wall

"Why is everyone in this family so damn stubborn" JJ said angrily

Declan just looked at her before walking slowly past and heading back to his room. Then Emily followed him out walking back towards her room. When she got into the room she saw that Ethan was awake.

"Hey sweetie, how are you feeling?" she asked as she walked around to that side of the bed and sat down beside him

"Bad and I don't think I have anything left in me to throw up" Ethan told her sadly

"I'm sorry baby" she said as she laid down next to him

JJ then picked up her phone and called Hotch letting him know that neither she nor Emily would be in today because everyone in the house was sick. Right after she hung up she started to feel nauseous. She turned and ran into the bathroom just in time. Emily immediately threw off the covers and headed into the bathroom after JJ. She walked up behind the blonde, grabbing her hair and holding it out of the way as she knelt down behind her and rubbed her back. Once JJ was finished she relaxed into Emily's arms.

"Now who's not feeling well?" Emily said with a smile

"Aww crap" JJ stated as she sighed into Emily

Not a moment later Ethan came running into the room almost tripping over his mothers as he hurled himself at the toilet. Once he was finished he joined them on the floor.

"I really don't know how much more can come out" he stated as he laid his head on JJ's lap

JJ brushed some hair out of his eyes as she looked down at him, "I'm sorry baby"

They finally all made it back into bed. As the morning rolled on it seemed the boys were getting over the vomiting part, unlike JJ and Emily. Sometime in the early afternoon the boys were asleep, as was Emily. JJ however was still awake. She was laying on her back with Henry curled into her right side. Suddenly a blonde head entered the bedroom. She turned and saw Declan looking at her and he smiled slightly.

"Hey"

"Hey D" she replied with a smile, "How are you feeling?"

"Not so good" he answered

JJ nodded, "I'm sorry sweetie"

"I was just wondering…if you know…if I could" he rambled

JJ rolled her eyes and patted the space between herself and Emily, "Come on D"

He smiled as he walked around to the foot of the bed before carefully crawling up the bed and laying down on his stomach, turning his head towards JJ, "Thanks"

"Always" she smiled at him as she brushed some of his bangs out of his eyes

A few minutes later he was sound asleep. JJ felt his forehead and saw that he was still pretty warm. Then she felt Henry and noticed he was still warm as well. She closed her eyes as she felt a wave of nausea rush over her. She let out a deep breath once it passed. Soon after she felt herself drift off to sleep.

A couple of hours later Emily woke up, still feeling tired. She couldn't feel her left arm so she turned her head and found Ethan's head on her arm, his left arm thrown over her waist and his leg thrown over her own. She smiled down as she kissed the top of his head. As she turned to look to her right she found a sleeping Declan next to her. He was on his stomach and his head was facing her. She smiled and she shook her head lightly at the teenager next to her.

She leaned up slightly to look over at JJ and Henry and she found JJ looking back at her.

"Hey" JJ said

"Hey" Emily replied

"How are you feeling?" they asked simultaneously before letting out a small laugh

"You first" Emily said as she looked at JJ

"Still feel horrible but I haven't been sick in awhile" she told Emily

"Same here" Emily replied

"Henry is still running a fever" JJ told her

"Ethan too. I can feel the heat radiating off of him" Emily stated, "And I think Declan is still running a fever because I can see him sweating"

JJ nodded before laying her head back down, while Emily did the same. Then JJ rolled away from Henry and carefully got out of bed.

"Where are you going?" Emily questioned as she watched JJ enter the bathroom

Then JJ reappeared with a thermometer, "Just going to check"

JJ stuck the thermometer in Henry's ear waiting for it to beep.

"Still 101" she stated as she looked over at Emily

"What about yours?" Emily asked JJ

JJ then took her own temperature, "102"

Emily nodded as she watched JJ climbed carefully over Henry to get back in her spot on the bed. Then JJ stuck the thermometer in Declan's ear.

"104" JJ said as she looked up with wide eyes at Emily

"It's okay JJ, he's a lot bigger than the little ones. And he hasn't thrown up in awhile." Emily said, although she wasn't sure if she was trying to convince JJ or herself

"Let me get Ethan's temperature and then I'll call the doctor" Emily told her as she reached up to take the thermometer

"I'll call him, I'm already up" JJ said as she crawled off of the bed and walked around to her side of the bed to retrieve her phone off the nightstand.

Emily then took Ethan's temperature and found that it was the same as earlier, "103 same as before"

JJ nodded her head as she ushered to Emily. Emily then stuck the thermometer in her own ear. She pulled it out and looked at it.

"Well?" JJ questioned

Emily looked at thermometer and then at JJ, "102"

JJ glared at Emily, "You're lying"

"No I'm not" Emily told her as she turned off the thermometer

But JJ came around to Emily's side of the bed and took the thermometer out of her hand. She then turned it back on, knowing it kept the last temperature in memory. Emily cursed herself as she watched JJ turn it back on. As JJ read the numbers her eyes grew wide. She dropped her hands as she stared down at Emily.

"105" JJ said in a frightened voice

"I'm okay JJ, really. I feel the same as I did earlier" Emily told her as she looked up at her

"Emily you are not okay" JJ stated as she dialed the doctor's number

"JJ, really, I usually run higher temperatures, something to do with my immune system" Emily told her unconvincingly

JJ finally got hold of the doctor and told him first about Declan and then about Emily. The doctor voiced his concerns about both before reassuring JJ that their size and Declan's youth would play in their favor. Once she hung up she walked back over to Emily's side of the bed. She looked down at her and smiled at Ethan and the way he was wrapped around his mother. Emily smiled up at JJ.

"Well what's the verdict?" Emily asked

"He said that as long as both of you are still feeling alright and haven't been sick in the past couple of hours that you should be okay. But we are supposed to keep an eye on him" JJ said as she nodded towards Declan

Emily nodded before adding, "And I'm guessing you are going to keep an eye on me?"

"That's a stupid question Emily" JJ told her

"I'm sorry Jayje. It's just I really feel okay" Emily told her

"Yeah well I also know you Emily Prentiss and you downplay everything. So I will keep an eye on you if I want to" JJ stated before she dialed another number

"Now who are you calling?" Emily asked as JJ held up her hand

Emily soon found that she had called Garcia to check on Penny. After hanging up the phone JJ crawled slowly back into bed turning to right side and pulling Henry against her.

"I love you Em" JJ said out loud

Emily smiled as she pulled Ethan closer to her, "I love you too Jayje"

Soon they both fell asleep. JJ woke up later that night on her back and Henry asleep next to her on his stomach, with his right arm thrown on top of her. She smiled as she kissed his forehead noticing he didn't seem quite as warm as earlier that day. Then she looked at the clock and saw that it was 915pm. She sighed as she sat up and looked over at the other side of the bed. She smiled when she saw Emily still asleep on her back with Declan asleep on his stomach and his head laying on top of Emily's right arm which was stretched out under the teenagers head. Then she looked at Ethan who had shifted and was now also laying on his stomach with his face buried into Emily's left side and his left arm throw over her chest. JJ then laid her head back down and closed her eyes yet again.

Two days later everyone was up and moving around, feeling somewhat better. All of them were weak from not eating in three days so Emily and JJ made a nice dinner and they all sat down at the table that night to eat. Then Emily stripped her and JJ's bed, as well as Declan's to wash them. Then they made everyone's beds with clean sheets and they cleaned up the bathrooms and threw all the towels into the laundry room to be washed. That night was the first night everyone slept in their own beds and by the next day everyone was feeling much better than they had the past week.

A/N: Reviews are always appreciated, it helps boost my ego and quite possibly upload chapters faster! So please tell me what you think!


	3. Chapter 3

A/N: So this chapter deals with the friendship- relationship between Morgan and Emily, because next to the JJ/Emily relationship I love the dynamic between Morgan and Prentiss! And I wanted to have a somewhat humorous chapter, even if the characters are a little out of character.

Ch 3

When Emily and JJ finally made it back to work they were both exhausted, not only from taking care of three sick kids, but also being sick themselves. They strolled into the bull pen and Morgan greeted both of them with a smile.

"Hello ladies" he said as he stood up from his desk

Emily and JJ both glared at him and he threw his hands up in surrender. JJ continued to walk by him as she headed up to Hotch's office, while Emily sunk into her desk chair. Morgan walked up to her and leaned against her desk as he looked down at her.

"So how was your week?" he asked

"Shut up Morgan" she answered as she glared up at him

"So what was it like taking care of three sick kids?" he asked

"Horrible" she answered as she dropped her head onto her desk, "I'm so unbelievably tired"

"I bet. On the bright side Penny didn't get sick" he replied

"Thank God" Emily said into her desk, "I don't think I could've handled another one"

Morgan nodded as he patted her shoulder, "Well how are you and JJ feeling?"

"Better, just exhausted" she answered still talking into the desk

"Then I'm guessing you don't want to grab a drink with me later tonight?" he asked her "My treat"

Emily's head shot up from the desk as she looked up at Morgan, "Really?"

He nodded with a smile, "I think Garcia wanted to take JJ to dinner, so I figured you and I could hang out"

Emily sighed before answering, "I would love to Morgan but if JJ's going to go out with Garcia then I'm going to have to go home to the kids. Janet can only stay until 6 tonight"

"Oh come on Prentiss, Declan is old enough to watch the kids" Morgan told her a whiny voice

"How old are you Morgan?" she asked sarcastically

"Well he is" Morgan pointed out while looking at her with his puppy eyes

"Morgan I would never expect him to watch all of the kids. If it were just the boys or just Penny, then yes, but not all of them" she told Morgan

Morgan sighed before turning to look at Reid, who was deep in thought at his desk, before looking back at Emily.

Emily saw him and immediately shook her head, "No way, I would rather leave Declan in charge of all of them"

Morgan laughed, "Well then it's settled"

Emily looked at him in shock, "No it's not Derek, I never agreed to anything"

"Fine, but I will come up with a plan" he told her as he pushed himself off of her desk to return to his own.

By the end of the day Morgan had talked both Rossi and Hotch into hanging out at the Prentiss-Jareau household. He managed to convince Hotch that it would give Jack and Ethan some time to hang out, while persuading Rossi that Penny missed him.

JJ and Garcia ended up going out to dinner at a restaurant, while Morgan and Emily hit up a pizza joint. As Morgan held the door open for Emily she rolled her eyes.

"This your idea of a treat, Morgan, you shouldn't have" she said sarcastically as they walked over to a booth and slid in.

"Now princess have a little faith in me" he told her

"I would but I'm slightly overdressed for the occasion" Emily replied sarcastically as she pointed down to her black v neck top and matching black skirt.

"The night is young Emily" Morgan told her with a wink

"Yes but you managed to change into a pair of jeans" Emily pointed out as she nodded towards his dark faded washed jeans

"True, but I also have my black dress shirt still on and mine is long sleeve" he said as he popped his collar on his button down shirt

Emily rolled her eyes before they were interrupted by the waitress who came over to take their orders. Emily bit back a smile as she watched the waitress flirt with him, obviously oblivious to Emily. As she walked away Morgan looked up at Emily who was staring at him with her big Prentiss smile.

"What?" he asked

"Oh nothing except that lady was totally getting her flirt on with you and you did not flirt back" she pointed out

"Okay first of all, don't ever say getting her flirt on, again, and secondly I smiled at her" he told her truthfully

Emily continued to smile as she placed her elbows on the table and leaned her chin onto her hands, "If you say so"

"Can we just drop it" he asked her with a smile of his own

"Umm, we cannot just ignore a milestone such as this one" she told him with a shake of her head

"What milestone Prentiss" he questioned as he leaned back

"The one where Derek Morgan, God's gift to women, doesn't flirt back" she answered

Derek rolled his eyes as he said, "I don't flirt with ALL women"

Emily narrowed her eyes at him, "Oh please, I've known you for almost ten years Morgan. You would probably sleep with every woman you've ever flashed your 'I know I'm hot' smile at, if you could"

"Ouch" Morgan said as he play slapped himself on the face, "That hurts"

"I can't help if I speak the truth" she told him seriously

"If that were true then that would mean I would have wanted to sleep with you…and JJ" he said as he looked at her

"And I believe I said, IF you could" Emily replied as she stared back at him with a smile

"Touché" he grinned at her

Emily rolled her eyes at him as the waitress brought them their beers and breadsticks before turning and walking back to the bar. As she turned to look at Morgan she saw him smiling his big conquering smile.

"What are you smiling at?" she asked as she picked up a breadstick

"You don't want to know" he answered

"Let me guess you were thinking about the waitress"

"Nope"

"Really? Well you were definitely thinking about a woman because you were smiling in that annoyingly smug way" she told him

"Actually I was thinking about two women" he said as he looked up at her, "And me" he told her with a wink

"Derek Morgan you are disgusting" she told him as she threw a piece of her breadstick at him, knowing he was referring to her and JJ

"What I can't help it, you brought it up"

"No I didn't" she argued

"Yes you did. And besides I can't help it. I'm a guy and you and JJ are beautiful women" he told her sincerely

Emily shook her head as she glared at him, "Oh please Morgan"

"Why do you seem surprised?" he asked as he took a drink of his beer

She shrugged her shoulders, "I don't know…I mean I know JJ is beautiful"

"Emily you are beautiful also" he told her as she looked into her eyes, "I've always thought so"

"You're just saying that because you're my best friend" she replied with a smile

He shook his head, "No I am not. I'm a man and I'm not blind. I've also seen the way other men have looked at you. Detectives we have worked cases with, guys in this pizza joint when we walked in. You have a certain radiance about you"

Emily smiled at him, "Why would you pay attention to who's looking at me?"

He shrugged, "Because you ARE my best friend and I feel the need to look out for you, even though you can take care of yourself, it makes me feel better"

"Derek how long have you actually been watching people watch me?" she asked him

"Since always" he answered quickly

She shook her head, "You're lying"

"Does it matter?" he asked

"Yes" she told him as her dark eyes met his

"Since four years ago" he told her honestly

She closed her eyes before opening them back up and smiling at him as she bit her bottom lip, "Since I came back"

He nodded.

She reached across the table and covered his hands with her own and continued to bite her lip before she finally got up the courage to speak, "You are my best friend Derek Morgan and…and I love you…but I can take care of myself, I promise"

He nodded, "I know, it's not that I doubt you can, I just feel a need to watch out for you"

She smiled at him, "Derek you can't stop fate. If something is meant to happen to me then it will, you know that right. I don't want to live having to look over my shoulder all of the time. It took me a long time to realize that's what I was doing after I returned. I had many endless nights without sleep, consumed by nightmares that seemed too real. But I've finally moved past that and moved on with my life. You need to also, okay? I love you for feeling like you need to protect me, but I'm okay now"

He nodded again as he smiled at her before the waitress interrupted, making them pull their hands apart as she set their pizza down between them. After she left Morgan looked back across at Emily.

"What helped you get over everything?" he asked her

"You never really get over it, but you learn to move on. I had someone who supported me and loved me more than I ever thought someone could. And I had three little boys who needed me. And I finally learned to trust someone enough to let them in on what I was really feeling sometimes, instead of hiding it. Which was helpful, especially with Ethan and Declan. The three of us understood each other better and knew what is was like because we had all lost people that were important to us and were forced to live a lie for so long that that lie became a part of us. That was one of the hardest parts; living a lie around so many people I cared about."

"You know that I forgave you, right Emily?" he asked as he looked at her

She nodded, "It still doesn't make it easier, but I've learned to accept that it never really will"

"Those kids are lucky to have you, especially Ethan and Declan" Morgan told her sincerely, "And I think that, in and of itself, is fate"

"What?" she asked as she looked across at him

"I think you were dealt a difficult hand of cards but you learned how to turn your hand to work in your favor"

Emily shook her head at his metaphors but understanding what he was trying to say.

"What I'm trying to say is that I think you were meant to end up with Declan in the end. I think that's the way it was supposed to be. Fate. Just like I think you were supposed to end up with our team and that you and I were destined to become friends." He told her sincerely

She smiled across the table at him.

"And I want you to know" he said as he reached across the table and took one of her hands in his, "That…I…I love you too"

Emily bit her bottom as she smiled at Derek with a nod before giving his hand one last squeeze before pulling hers away to grab a piece of pizza, "Well let's eat so you can show me what else you have planned, after all, the night won't be young forever"

Morgan laughed as he grabbed a slice of pizza for himself as they switched the conversation to something less serious.

About an hour later Morgan was leading them into a dance club that the two of them hadn't been to since Penny was born.

"Wow I haven't been here since-" Emily shouted above the musice but was cut off by Morgan

"Since Penelope Morgan Prentiss joined the world" he smiled

She returned the smile, "That's exactly right"

"I know, me either" he shouted as he led her through the dance area into the back of the building where the pool tables, darts, and shuffleboard was located, along with some tall tables and chairs

"You haven't been here in two years?" she asked as they climbed onto a set of chairs, claiming a table where the music could still be heard but wasn't overpowering

He shook his head, "No way princess, you and I found this place, so I kinda consider it our hang out"

"We 'found' it during an undercover bust" she reminded him

He shrugged, "Still"

Emily laughed before scanning the room, trying to take in all of the different elements of people that were nestled into the club.

"What do you want to drink?" Morgan asked her as he stood up

"You know what, I think I'm going to stick with beer" she answered

"Will do. I'll be right back" he told her before turning and heading over to the nearest bar

As soon as Morgan got to the bar he turned around to check on Emily and he saw a man talking to her, leaning against the table she was sitting at. He started to head back over to her but then she saw him say something to the man before grabbing the guy's hand and bending it back. Morgan smiled and shook his head as the man grabbed his hand and practically ran out of the room into the dance area. Morgan finally received the beers and headed back to the table. As he set them down and climbed back onto his chair he smiled at Emily.

"What?" she asked innocently

"Was that really necessary?" Morgan questioned

Emily rolled her eyes, "He hit on me and when I told him I wasn't interested, he said he had a few ideas that would change my mind"

Morgan's eyes grew wide, "He did not"

"Oh yes he did" Emily told him, "Then I told him that I was in a relationship with someone and that I had four kids at home"

"I'm guessing that he still didn't take the hint?"

Emily shook her head, "Nope, he asked if you were my husband because if so, he could definitely steer me in a better direction because you clearly didn't know how to satisfy a woman"

"Okay you are making that part up" Morgan claimed

"I wish I were Morgan"

"Maybe I should go find him and-"

Emily grabbed Morgan by the arm, "I don't think he will be coming back here"

"So were you defending me then?" Morgan asked as he smiled

Emily rolled her eyes again, "Sorry to deflate your ego but after he said that I filled him in on the fact that I was gay, to which he then began making remarks about me and my 'girlfriend' in bed together and how he could help us both out, yada, yada, yada"

Morgan's jaw dropped, "Wow…We can go if you want Emily"

She shook her head, "No I'm fine, really, and I'm pretty sure he's gone"

Morgan shook his head at her before raising his glass towards her, "Here's to being a kickass FBI agent, which definitely comes in handy sometimes"

Emily laughed as they clanked their glasses together before taking a big gulp of their beers. They continued to laugh and joke around before Morgan challenged Emily to a game of pool.

"Seriously? If I remember correctly the last time we played pool, I kicked your ass" she reminded him with a smile

He shook his head as he stood up, "You did not kick my ass, you beat me, but only by two shots"

"Still" she stated as she stood up and followed him over to an empty pool table

"Okay okay, well let's see who wins this one" he said as he found a pool stick that suited him

By the end of the second game they were tied up and decided they needed to have a tie breaker game. However Morgan suggested that they take a break to dance to at least one song and surprisingly Emily agreed. They made their way through the doorway to the dance section and began dancing together as the beat to the song got faster. They were laughing and having fun, not realizing that the man from earlier was watching them. They danced to a couple more songs before they decided to get back to their pool game because it was getting late and Emily was going to have to be home soon.

Emily went back through the doorway and over to the pool table, which was luckily, still available, while Morgan was still in the dance area getting a couple more beers from the bar. Emily was setting up for the next game and heard someone walk up behind her but she just assumed it was Morgan, since there wasn't really anyone else in this particular room. Then suddenly she felt herself being shoved into the pool table. She didn't even have time to react as she felt her legs hit the table and someone grab her arms, pulling them behind her and shoving her back down, so that her chest came into contact, hard, with the pool table. 

"What the hell" she said out loud as she began to squirm

As she tried to look up she spotted another man standing on the other side of the table grinning down at her.

"So my friend here tells me you're gay. But I think you lied to him, because we both saw how you were dancing with that black guy" he said as he looked at her

"Let me go. I'm a federal agent" she yelled at them

"Right and I'm the president of the United States" the man joked

"I'm serious" Emily yelled at them as she continued to struggle

She felt the man behind her move slightly and she took that as an opportunity to make her move. She threw her head back forcefully and felt as it connected with his nose. He cried out in pain and reached for his nose. Emily spun around, grabbing the pool stick off the table and smacking him in the face with it.

Morgan walked through the doorway into the section he and Emily were originally in and saw Emily attacking the guy from earlier. He also saw another man heading around the table towards her, so he dropped the beers and took off towards them.

Emily was so concerned with the man in front of her she almost forgot about the other one. She turned just in time to get a pool stick to her face before he grabbed her and flipped her backwards onto the pool table. She thought she heard a ripping sound but ignored it as Morgan dove in front of her taking the man with the pool stick down. She hopped off of the pool table just as the other guy was getting up off of the floor. So she turned sideways and delivered a kick to the man's gut watching him go down to the ground. That's when she realized that there was definitely another ripping sound as her hands went to her backside; she could feel that her skirt had definitely ripped almost all the way up. She sighed before turning towards Morgan as she saw him standing up after he had practically knocked the guy unconscious. It was then that the bar manager as well as a bouncer made it to them.

Emily leaned against the pool table as Morgan filled the manager and bouncer in on what happened and that they were FBI agents. The manager and Morgan shook hands as the bouncer grabbed both men and pushed them towards a back room. Morgan then walked over to Emily and leaned up against the pool table next to her.

"You alright?" he asked her

She nodded, "Yeah, not exactly how I planned on spending this evening"

Morgan nodded, "Sorry"

"It's not your fault. Besides I still had fun tonight" she told him as she turned to look at him

" Yeah up until about twenty minutes ago" he stated

She shrugged, "I don't know, that was kind of fun too. I mean we did get to kick some ass, right?" she joked as she nudged his shoulder with her own

Morgan laughed as he nudged her back, "Are you sure you're okay? You've got a cut above your eye that looks like it's starting to swell"

"I'm fine Morgan, I've been through worse. Besides your eye is not looking very good at all" she told him as she pointed to his left eye which was beginning to swell

"Yeah well I've been through worse" he said repeating her

They both smiled before he pushed himself away from the table, "Come on let's get out of here. The manager said we could go and they would take care of the men. The cops should be here soon and the manager said if they had any questions they would just give the cops our names, but it should be fine since we are fellow officers…sort of"

He grabbed Emily by the arm to pull her away from the table but she flung herself backwards, taking him with her.

"What are you doing?" he asked as his body connected with hers

"I can't walk out of here"

"Why not? You said you were okay" he replied, stepping back

"I'm okay, but my skirt wasn't so lucky" she stated as she pointed behind her

Morgan bit his lip as he tried not to smile, "Are you trying to tell me your skirt is ripped?"

"It's not funny Morgan, I told you this wasn't proper attire" she said annoyed

"Well yes and it's obviously not proper attire to wear to work either. What if you had to chase down a suspect in that" he told her as he pointed up and down

She glared at him before replying, "We weren't working on an active case so I figured I'd be fine"

He chuckled lightly before he received a punch in the arm.

"Oww" he replied as he rubbed his arm

"Can you just figure out a way to get me out of here without half of the club seeing me in my underwear" she nearly pleaded with him

"How bad can it really be?" he asked

She looked around before pushing herself away from the table and turning around.

Morgan smiled as he saw that the skirt had ripped all the way up to the zipper on the back, "I guess where the original split was back there that it just ripped right up that line"

"You think" she said sarcastically as she turned back around

"Nice panties" he told her with a wink

"I can still kick your ass Derek Morgan" she told him angrily

She still managed to blush knowing that she was wearing a black pair of lacy boy shorts. She shook her head, however, thankful that she wasn't wearing a thong.

"Okay, okay" he said as he held up his hands in surrender

He leaned back against the pool table trying to come up with a plan. Finally the only thing he could think of would take the attention off of Emily, but draw it to him. He sighed as he filled her on his plan.

"I can't ask you to do that" Emily told him

"You didn't. I'm offering, so you have no choice, okay" he told her as he ushered her towards the bathroom, making sure to walk directly behind her to block the few people in the room from seeing her from behind.

Morgan then followed her into the bathroom, which was of course a one room bathroom. He locked the door behind him before turning back around.

"You do owe me though princess" he told her as he undid his pants

Emily rolled her eyes as she took her skirt off, taking Morgan's pants from him when he handed them to her. He held her skirt as she pulled his jeans up, trying to tighten the belt so that they wouldn't fall off her hips. She sighed when she realized the belt could only tighten so much.

"Sorry" he said as he shrugged his shoulders

"It's okay" she told him as she held the pants up by the belt in the front with one of her hands as Morgan unlocked the bathroom door

"You do look kind of cute though" he told her with a laugh as she stood behind him in his baggy jeans and small black shirt

"Ya well the girls are going to eat you alive when you walk through there in your boxers" she replied with a laugh

"Maybe but at least I wore these gray and black striped ones rather than the other pair I had in my drawer" he stated

"Do I even want to know?" she asked before he opened the door

"Frogs" he answered referring to the other pair of boxer shorts, he had luckily not worn

Emily laughed before she stepped out of the bathroom in front of him. She walked quickly with Morgan pushing her gently at her back as they walked through the club and out the front door. There were definitely stares and people talking and pointing, but luckily the music drowned out what they were saying. They got to Morgan's car quickly and he jumped into the driver's side as Emily climbed into the passenger side.

"Well that was an interesting night" Emily said as Morgan started the car

"Yes it was" he replied as they drove down the street

They pulled into Emily's driveway and saw that everyone was still there and Morgan rolled his eyes.

"Great, we are going to get the third degree from everybody" he said as he turned off the car, "And we will probably be grounded from hanging out together without a chaperone. You know how the dads can be"

Emily laughed knowing Morgan was referring to Rossi and Hotch, "Yeah well JJ's not going to be too happy either, especially when she finds out it was her skirt that got ripped"

Morgan turned and stared at Emily, "You were wearing her skirt?"

"Yeah I was wondering why it felt a little tight this morning. And when I took it off at the club I realized why. It's JJ's not mine. Oops"

Morgan laughed as they got out of his car, "Yeah she's going to kick your ass"

Emily held up her pants as they walked up the steps to the front porch, but before she opened the door she turned and looked at Morgan, "I did have fun tonight, though, Morgan. Thanks"

"Anytime Princess" he told her with a smile

As she opened the door Morgan added, "But just to clarify things, we are never, ever, going to that club again"

Emily laughed as she walked into her house with Morgan in tow.

As soon as Morgan shut the door behind them they heard a woman's voice, "Derek Morgan are you in your boxer shorts?"

Emily and Morgan froze to Garcia's voice. That was followed by a man's voice.

"And is Emily wearing your pants?" questioned Rossi

Morgan and Emily turned to their right to find Rossi, Hotch, Garcia, Reid, and JJ staring at them.

"Hey guys what's up?" Morgan said as he stood up straight and began walking towards the others in the living room.

"Hey babe, where did you and Garcia end up going?" Emily asked as she walked towards JJ

"Stop" JJ said holding up her hand

"In the name of love" Morgan started singing

"Before you break my heart" Emily chimed in

"You guys, seriously" JJ said louder, causing Morgan and Emily to stop

Everyone continued to stare at Morgan and Emily before Hotch spoke up as he looked at Morgan, "Do we even want to know why you are wearing your boxer shorts and Emily is wearing your pants?"

"It's a funny story, really" Emily said with a nervous laugh

"Well then why don't you tell us" Hotch said looking from one young agent to the other

Morgan and Emily looked at one another before the silence was broken by Reid, "Um Morgan is your eye swollen?"

Everyone turned their attention to Morgan before Garcia added, "There's a cut above Emily's eye"

"Did you two decide to spar each other again?" Rossi asked with a smile

"No" Morgan answered

JJ threw her hands up as she said, "Oh my gosh you two got into a fight with other people"

Emily looked at JJ before turning to look at Morgan.

"Well you did didn't you?" JJ asked again

"It wasn't our fault. There was this guy and he hit on me and then I thought he was gone but then he attacked me when I wasn't looking and Morgan and I had to defend ourselves from the two guys and then your skirt ripped and so he gave me his pants and here we are" Emily blurted out as she talked so fast the words ran together

Everyone's jaw dropped in the room before Garcia spoke up, "What in the world did she just say?"

JJ shook her head and took a deep breath before she answered, "Basically some guy hit on her and then later attacked her and Morgan and in the process her skirt ripped so Morgan gave her his pants"

Everyone turned to look at JJ in disbelief with the fact that she had understood all of that.

"What? We've been together for four years" JJ pointed out, to which everyone nodded

Then a moment later JJ jerked her head back towards Emily, "Wait a minute. Did you say MY skirt?"

Emily smiled and batted her eyelashes at JJ causing everyone to smile.

"Emily Elizabeth Prentiss" JJ said in a raised voice

"If it helps I didn't know it was yours until I was in the bathroom putting Morgan's pants on" Emily told her

JJ sighed but found it difficult to be angry when she looked at the two of them and saw the way they were currently dressed.

Hotch smiled widely as he said, "Does this mean that Morgan had to walk through a crowd of people in his boxer shorts?"

Everyone began to laugh as they realized what kind of scene the two agents probably caused.

"Yes I did and I will have you know I did it proudly" Morgan said as he straightened out beside Emily

"I bet you did my hunk of burning love" Garcia purred

Everyone continued to laugh, and soon Emily and Morgan had joined in. A few minutes later, while most of them were still laughing there was suddenly a voice behind them,

"Uncle Derek why are you in your boxer shorts?" Declan asked

"And is mom wearing your pants?" Ethan questioned with Jack standing beside him

Emily and Derek spun around to come face to face with the three boys standing side by side.

"Hey there guys" Morgan said with a smile

Emily smiled at the boys, "Hey"

Declan shook his head, "Never mind, I don't want to know"

He then turned and walked into the kitchen. Emily continued to stare at Jack and Ethan before she commented, "Shouldn't you two be in bed, it's like almost midnight"

"We were thirsty" Jack stated

Emily nodded as Hotch spoke up, "Then get a glass of water and head back to bed"

Both boys walked through the living room to the kitchen and a few minutes later all three boys came walking back through. As they passed Emily and Morgan, Emily spoke up.

"Hey, do I not get a good night kiss?"

"Aww man, seriously?" Ethan whined

"Yeah mom there are guests here" Declan pointed out

Emily crossed her arms, almost forgetting about the pants, and reached down to grab them just in time, causing laughter behind her.

"I haven't seen you guys all day and last time I checked these guys weren't guests, they were family" Emily pointed out

Declan rolled his eyes but walked back up to Emily and put his arms around her, hugging her tightly, "Goodnight mom, love you"

"Night Declan. I love you too" she said as she released him and he turned to walk upstairs

Emily then looked at Ethan and he smiled before walking over to her and throwing his arms around her waist to hug her.

"Love you mom" he said as he looked up at her with his arms still around her waist

"Love you too little man" she replied as she bent down to kiss him on the lips

As he let go of her he spun around on one foot before walking towards the stairs. He stopped however to wait for Jack who was looking at Emily. She rolled her eyes as she held one arm out to him, making sure to hold on to the pants with the other hand. Jack smiled as he ran up to hug her also.

"Night Emily" he told her

"Night Jack. I love you sport" she told him before releasing him

"Love you too" he smiled before he turned and he and Ethan raced up the stairs, but not before high fiving Morgan

Emily turned around to find everyone smiling at her before there was an echo of "Awwwwww"

"Oh shut up" she said as she walked into the living room before plopping down on the couch

"I see you guys have been having fun" she said as she pointed to the beer bottles and pizza boxes

"That is from Rossi and Hotch. I took JJ out for a nice dinner" Garcia acknowledged

"And Reid ended up here, how?" Emily asked

"Henry called me and asked me to come over and play" Reid replied

Another chorus of 'Awwwwwwws' went around before everyone re-entered the room and began to find seating.

"I don't mean to interrupt this party" Morgan said before turning to look at Emily, "But could I get my pants back?"

Hotch and Rossi smiled before Garcia said, "Oh you don't need to put them back on sweetness. I don't mind"

JJ and Emily smiled before Emily replied, "Yeah, sorry, come on, I'll change and give you your pants back"

Emily stood up and nearly lost the pants again and Garcia smiled, "Nice panties Emily"

Emily glared at her, while Reid, Rossi, and Hotch blushed and looked away.

"That's what I told her" Morgan said with a smile

Emily landed a good punch to his gut before walking out of the room, with Morgan following as he held his stomach.

Morgan followed Emily into her and JJ's bedroom and was surprised to find it in a chaotic mess.

"Wow girl I don't think I've ever seen you guy's bedroom look like this" he stated as he looked around at the piles of clothes and random toys scatter around the floor.

"Yeah well we have been dealing with a house full of sick people. It's been kind of crazy" she told him as she walked into the large closet

About a minute later Morgan's pant's came flying through the doorway of the closet closely followed by Emily who had changed into a t-shirt and was pulling up a pair of sweat pants. Morgan pulled his pants on, buckling his belt as he followed Emily out of her bedroom.

Emily stopped and snuck into Penny's room to kiss the two year old good night. Morgan followed her into the nursery and smiled down at the blonde little girl, who had stolen everyone's heart from the moment she was born. Morgan bent down and kissed her cheek after Emily. Then he looked up at Emily and smiled.

"She looks just like JJ" he stated

Emily nodded, "I know. That might be one reason I love her so much"

Morgan nodded before they turned and quietly exited the room. Then Emily went down the hall to the boy's side. She opened the door to Henry and Ethan's room, only to find Jack and Ethan inside in the beds.

"Hey, where's Henry?" she asked the two boys who were still awake

"He sleeping in Declan's room since Jack is staying the night" Ethan told her

"Oh, so you are staying the night?" Emily asked as she smiled at Jack on the bottom bunk

He nodded, "Yeah dad said it was okay"

Emily smiled before saying, "Okay well you guys go to sleep"

They nodded before she closed the door and walked a couple steps further to Declan's door. She knocked lightly before opening it. What she found brought a smile to her face. Declan was asleep in his twin bed on his back right on the edge of the bed, while Henry was laying with his head at Declan's feet and his feet up next to Declan's chest. Both boys were sound asleep. Emily snuck in to kiss Henry good night before turning and tip toeing out. Morgan was waiting for her with a smile on his face.

"You have some really good kids Em" he told her

"I know" she nodded before they headed back downstairs

When they got back into the living room Morgan moved to sit between Garcia and JJ, while Emily sat down next to Reid. They all set around talking and laughing for about an hour before Rossi finally stood up and stretched.

"Sorry to be an old man, but my body needs sleep" he said

Hotch stood up as well, following him to the door, "Me too. Just call me tomorrow when you're ready to get rid of Jack"

"Oh and from now on maybe the two of you shouldn't be left alone" Rossi added as he pointed to Morgan and Emily

They immediately shot each other glances and bit back a smile.

Emily and JJ nodded before closing the door behind them. Reid and Garcia were picking up trash around the living room while Morgan began to doze on the couch. Once everything was semi picked up Reid, Garcia, and Morgan all headed home as well.

Emily and JJ finally made it into bed around 2am and both of them were exhausted. As JJ rolled towards Emily and laid her head on Emily's shoulder she couldn't help but giggle.

"What?" Emily asked as her arm wrapped around JJ's shoulders pulling her in closer

"I was just thinking about you and Morgan again. You two just can't be left alone without getting into trouble can you?"

"It wasn't our fault Jayje, really. We were just defending ourselves" Emily told her again

"Well I have to admit you were pretty cute in those baggy pants" JJ told her as she tilted her chin up to look at Emily

"Oh yeah?" Emily questioned with a smile

JJ nodded and let out a laugh as Emily flipped her onto her back and ended up on top of JJ, pinning her to the bed, before leaning down and capturing her lips in a passionate kiss. They made love well into the night before finally falling asleep.

A/N: Please let me know your thoughts on the story so far. I haven't really gotten the amount of reviews I was hoping for, so I don't know if I should continue or not.


	4. Chapter 4

A/N: Wow much more reviews! Thanks guys! Keep that up and I just might have this whole story written and posted in no time! Oh and there is some slight sexual material in this chapter.

Ch 4

Three days later everyone was back at work when they got a new case out of Arizona. Young boys were being kidnapped and about three days later the body of a missing boy would turn up. Garcia helped brief the team and soon they were all loaded on the plane and heading to Arizona.

"So two boys about the same age are being kidnapped but only one of the boys' bodies is being found three days later" Rossi stated as they went over the file again on the plane

Hotch nodded, "And there doesn't appear to be a certain type or age. The first two boys taken were seventeen and not much was thought of at that time. It wasn't until there was a pattern of two boys disappearing at a time when the police started to become suspicious."

"So far there has been the two seventeen year olds, then two five year olds" Emily pointed out

"Then there were two more boys taken, both nine years old. One of the boys' body was found exactly three days later" Reid added

"And the most recent kidnappings were a twelve year old and an eleven year old" JJ said as she passed out the most recent pictures. As Emily looked at the picture of the eleven year old her eyes immediately looked up and met JJ's. JJ nodded, knowing that when Emily looked at that picture she saw Ethan, because that was exactly who JJ saw when she was first shown the picture.

"They were taken yesterday, so they are going to be our top priority. If this guy continues to follow a pattern we are going to have a body in less than two days" Hotch told everyone

"Well there must be more than one unsub, especially if he is kidnapping teenage boys" Morgan said

"Well it depends on the size of the boys also. Most boys don't hit their growth spurt until around the age of fourteen" Emily pointed out

"If he was overpowering two boys at the same place then there would definitely have to be two unsubs, but according to these kidnappings that only happened once and it was when he kidnapped the two five year olds" Reid stated

"The bodies are being dumped in remote locations and it is obvious that the boys who have been found were badly beaten which seems to be the cause of death" Rossi spoke up

"What if the unsub is taking two to see which one will follow the rules and which one doesn't. Then the one who doesn't is the one who loses his life" Morgan suggested

"It's possible. Morgan and Prentiss I want you to interview the parents of the two seventeen year olds and the two five year olds, we need to know the personalities of these kids involved" Hotch told them

"Reid and JJ I want you to interview the parents of the most recent kidnap victims and then the parent's of the nine year olds" Hotch said to the two younger agents

"Rossi and I will go to the morgue and then we will all meet back at the station" Hotch informed them as he looked around the plane at everyone

Once they landed they all took off in separate directions. As Morgan and Emily pulled up in front of the first set of parent's house they both took a deep breath before getting out of the vehicle. They rang the doorbell and were soon face to face with Mr Sumpter, the parent of the missing seventeen year old.

"Mr. Sumpter?" Morgan questioned as he held up his badge, "I'm Agent Morgan and this is Agent Prentiss, could we ask you a few questions?"

He nodded as he held the door open wider and ushered the two agents inside. He pointed to the couch where Morgan and Emily took a seat. Not a moment later the mother walked into the room, her eyes red from crying.

"This is my wife Dana" the man said as he helped his wife sit down in a chair

"We are sorry to bother you, but we need to know what kind of kid Jeremy is. Does he play sports? What kind of personality does he have?" Emily asked as she looked at the parents

"He is on the soccer team" the father spoke up as he stood up and took a picture off of the mantle

He walked back over to Morgan and Emily as he handed Emily the picture of his son. Her heart broke as she found herself looking at a picture of a tall, slender, handsome looking teenage boy with curly, dirty blonde hair and bright blue eyes, in his soccer uniform.

"He's very handsome" Emily said with a smile as she handed the picture back to the father

"He's a sweet boy too. He's always helping his little brother with his soccer skills" the mother told them

Morgan nodded before asking another question, "What about school? Is he popular or well liked?"

"Well he is definitely popular. He's got himself a pretty girlfriend and always has friends over. But he definitely cared more about that than academics" the mother said

"What do you mean?" Morgan asked

"He's just much more interested in soccer and socializing than in his grades. But he has never been disrespectful to his teachers or anything like that" she replied

Emily and Morgan nodded as they stood up from the couch, "Thank you for your time"

They moved on to the next house, to the parents of Shawn Addison the seventeen year old whose body was the first to be found. They found out that he was not into sports like Jeremy had been and that he was grouped into more of a book smart teenager who was mostly a loner.

As they rounded out the last of their interviews they found common similarities in the two five year olds as well. Except the opposite had happened in their case. Billy, the five year old whose body had been found was the bigger child and the more loving and likeable one. Whereas Taylor, the boy who was still missing, was small for his age and tended to get made fun of at school.

Once they gathered their information Morgan and Emily headed back to the station to meet up with the others.

Meanwhile JJ and Reid were just finishing up with the interview of Marcus Johnson's parents. He was the eleven year old who was missing. His parents told Reid and JJ that he was well liked from his peers and that he was a bit of an old soul, but that seemed to play in his favor when it came to friends and making people smile. JJ was standing near a shelf where there were pictures of the Johnson's kids and she immediately picked out Marcus. He was average size for his age and she smiled at the picture of him holding his skateboard, his hat turned backwards, with his brown wavy hair sticking out from underneath it. He smiled widely which helped illuminate his dark eyes. And JJ couldn't help but think of Ethan when she saw that picture of the boy who was the same age as her own son.

When they finally all met back up at the station they stood around and shared the information they had found out.

"Jeremy seems to be an athletic, well liked kid who is more interested in friends and sports than in academics" Emily said

Morgan nodded as he added, "The other kid who was taken at the same time, Shawn, seems to be the opposite of Jeremy. His parents describe him as a book smart kid without many friends, if any"

"But in the case of the five year olds the opposite type of body was found. Billy, the boy whose body was found, was the child who seemed to be fun loving and bigger for his age" Emily told the team

"And Taylor was small for his age and according to his teachers, tended to be made fun of by his classmates" Morgan replied

"The nine year olds that were taken, were both African American and both seemed to be athletic and well liked by peers. They both played football through the city and both seemed to have a large group of friends." JJ said as she looked around the room

"As for the two most recent kidnap victims, it appears that Marcus may have been the kid who was well liked and his parent's described him as an old soul. He doesn't play sports but is into skateboarding and more extreme sports but is also small for his age even though he's eleven" Reid said with a pause before continuing, "Whereas the twelve year old, Tommy, is big for his age and plays football and baseball. But he also was described as more of an introvert where Marcus is more of an extrovert"

"None of this is making much sense. In some cases we have similar personalities in the kids taken and then in others it's the opposite. There is only one body being found, so where are the other kids who are still missing?" Rossi questioned as he pulled out a chair and sat down in the small office space they were currently using

As they stood around trying to figure out what exactly this unsub was trying to accomplish everyone was becoming more impatient with one another. The team usually got along well, but when it came to children everyone's nerves were on edge. Morgan and Emily began arguing about possible reasons behind the kidnappings which then turned to them arguing with each other about trivial things not even related to the case. Rossi tried to intervene but was then called out by Reid for automatically taking Emily's side.

"Everyone shut up" Hotch practically yelled, catching everyone's attention, "Everybody take a break and go in separate directions to cool off. We aren't getting anywhere if we continue to bicker"

Emily and Morgan were the first to exit the office and both headed in opposite directions. Followed closely behind were JJ and Reid. JJ went in the direction of Emily, while Reid went in a completely different direction from everyone else. Rossi stayed in the office with Hotch and was quiet until Hotch turned to look at him.

"I thought I said to go get some fresh air" he stated as he saw Rossi still standing there

"Aaron I know this case is bothering you. It's bothering everyone, that's why we are all at each other's throats" Rossi replied

"Dave we have to remain professional"

"I agree but that's hard to do when you, JJ, and Emily all have boys around the same age as the victims. I know that has to get to all three of you and even though they aren't my kids I still care about them. Hell Hotch all of us care about your kids and we picture them also"

"I didn't see Jack when I looked at those pictures" Hotch told Rossi

"But you thought about him" Rossi pointed out, which earned a nod from Hotch

Meanwhile Emily wandered outside the building and was pacing by the corner. JJ came out a few minutes after her and spotted her before Emily stopped and leaned against the building. JJ walked up to her and found that Emily's eyes were shut as she leaned her head back against the wall. JJ walked up next to Emily and leaned into the building with her shoulder.

"I know that's you JJ" Emily said without opening her eyes

JJ smiled as she watched Emily turn her head towards her before opening her eyes and looking into JJ's blue ones.

"How did you know it was me?" JJ questioned

This time Emily smiled, "I just knew"

JJ raised her eyebrow at the brunette causing Emily to answer, "And I could smell your shampoo when you walked up"

JJ nodded as she reached out with her left hand and laced her fingers through Emily's left hand, "I know this is hard Em, but we can't fight with everyone"

"It's not hard JJ, I just don't like cases involving kids, you know that" the brunette stated as she looked at the ground

"Emily don't lie to me. This case upset's me too and it's not just because there are kids involved. It upset's me because these kids are almost the same ages as our boys"

"I know that JJ, but we can't let our personal feelings get in the way"

"Emily Prentiss, stopping putting your damn walls up and let me in. This is me we are talking about, we have a family together, remember? I know when you saw that picture of Marcus that you immediately thought of Ethan, I did too. And that's okay; we are human Em, we aren't robots" JJ said as she squeezed the older woman's hand

Emily finally turned her head and looked at JJ again, "I don't want to see our kid's faces whenever we are working on cases and I've been doing really well with that, until this case. But God JJ they are so young and they're dying in such a brutal way. And Marcus was almost a carbon copy of Ethan, it broke my heart."

"I know babe, me too"

"But we have to stay strong so we can bring these other kids home" Emily said

JJ nodded, "I know Em"

Emily turned and leaned down slightly to kiss JJ on the cheek. As she pulled back she continued to stare at JJ. As JJ watched her partner she could tell Emily was deep in thought.

"What are you thinking about Em?"

"Remember when Declan started high school and he got in that fight the first week"

JJ nodded, "Yeah he was defending us and our family"

Emily nodded, "The only time Declan has ever been in a fight or caused problems and he was fighting an upper classman who was bigger than him"

JJ nodded again as she tried to catch up with Emily's thinking.

"What if the unsub is kidnapping these boys and having them fight to see who's stronger? Only in this case the winner is the survivor" Emily said, her eyes growing bigger at the thought

JJ's eyes widened also as they started to put more of the puzzle together. Then Emily turned and ran back into the station. As she was rounding the corner to the office, so was Morgan and Reid. JJ caught up with them as they all entered the office.

"I think I know what the unsub is doing" Morgan spoke up first

"Me too" Reid and Emily said simultaneously

Hotch turned to look at his agents as all four stared him down. He nodded and all three began filling him in on the fighting scenario.

"Okay that makes sense. Now we have to figure out who fits that profile"

The team all nodded as they began piecing together the profile of their unsubs little by little. About an hour later they came up with a profile for two unsubs. They were two men between the ages of 35-45 who had grown up in abusive homes. More than likely one of the unsubs is the bigger one who wasn't able to protect himself against his abuser while the other unsub was probably made fun of growing up and was picked on a lot. It's possible that one or both of the unsubs had either worked at a boxing ring or had participated in the sport.

Once the profiles were delivered the team split up to check out different boxing rings around the city. Emily and Morgan went to one, Reid and JJ to another, while Hotch and Rossi took the third. On the way to the gym Morgan glanced at Emily in the passenger seat.

"Emily about earlier" he began

"Derek it's fine, really" she told him as she turned and gave him a smile, "We are all on edge here, it's okay"

Morgan nodded as he turned back to the road.

After everyone interviewed employees and some different members of the gyms they all met back at the station to compare notes. They had about five names that fit under the list of possible unsubs. They had Garcia run checks on all of them and three out of the five had arrest records, while the other two just had minor run ins with the police. They decided to check out all five men so they split up again. This time Emily and Reid paired off, Morgan and Rossi, and Hotch and JJ.

They met back up two hours later only to find that none of the men appeared to be the unsub. One of the suspects wasn't home, so they were going to go by his house again later.

Later that evening Morgan and JJ went back to the remaining suspects house who had not been home that afternoon. They found he still wasn't home, so they knocked on a neighbors door. After explaining the situation to him, the neighbor offered up what he knew. That the man was nice enough, never rude to anybody but mostly kept to himself. Morgan and JJ thanked the man before getting back in the car and heading back to the station.

They filled the rest of the team in on what the learned just as they received another phone call about two more boys being taken. This time it was two seven year old boys, one African American, the other Caucasian.

"Their parents just reported them missing because they were supposed to be at a sporting event" Hotch said as he hung up the phone

"Jesse Thatcher is a seven year old African American last seen as school got out at 315 this afternoon. From there he carpooled to his flag football game, where he was present for the first half. Nobody noticed he was missing until half way through the second half" he continued as looked around the room

"Michael Winters is a seven year old Caucasian boy last seen at school. He was picked up in a car pool as well, where he and some friends were then dropped off at soccer practice. However when his mom showed up at the end of practice to pick him up he was nowhere to be found and the coach couldn't remember the last time he saw the boy" Hotch finished

"Okay so both boys have been missing for at least two hours" Emily said as she looked at her watch

Hotch nodded, "And they already canvassed both of the parks that these boys were at and nobody found anything, not even a trace that these boys were there"

"We need to interview their team mates as soon as possible. Maybe they saw something that could help us" Rossi said as he stood up

Hotch nodded, "Okay I want Prentiss and Dave to interview Michael Winters family. Morgan and JJ the Thatchers. And take some pictures with you of the five men that are currently on the list, just in case we missed something"

They all nodded before spanning out to complete their duties. On the way to the Winters' house Morgan got a call from Hotch stating that a body had been dumped. Morgan hung up before turning to look at JJ.

"We have another body" he told her as he turned back to watch the road

"Who?" she asked

"Marcus Johnson" he answered, knowing he was thinking the same thing as JJ about how much that boy reminded all of them of Ethan

JJ took a deep breath before asking, "So what's the plan?"

"Hotch wants us to go ahead and do the interviews, he and Reid are going to go check out the newest dump sight" he informed her

JJ just nodded as she turned to look out the window.

Meanwhile Hotch and Reid headed to the newest crime scene. As they walked down a ditch Hotch saw the sheet covering the boy's body and he couldn't help himself, he walked straight over to it. Kneeling down he pulled the sheet back to look at the young child. He cursed to himself as he looked at the bruising that was marring the boy's body. He shook his head as he tried to wipe out the images of Jack and Ethan laying there covered in cuts and bruises.

When the team met back at the station they all relayed what they had found out.

"Jesse Thatcher was described as a helpful polite kid who enjoyed playing sports" JJ said as she passed around a picture of the boy

"Michael Winters was described in the same manner" Rossi said as he passed around a picture of the other boy

"According to his team mates Michael was a friendly kid who wouldn't be afraid to talk to strangers" Emily stated

"That seemed to be the consensus for Jesse Thatcher as well" Morgan added

"Any hits on the pictures?" Hotch questioned

"We had a few kids say they saw these three men" Emily said as she put three of the suspect's pictures on the table, "But they kept disagreeing with each other"

"We had some of the kids claim to see these two suspects at the field" Morgan said as he laid down two pictures which matched two of the three that Emily set down

"Okay let's get an APB out on all three of these men and bring them in for questioning" Hotch ordered, "I think this one man that we can't seem to locate should remain our prime suspect, especially since he was pointed out at both scenes"

The local police attempted to apprehend all three of the suspects the kids had pointed out but they weren't able to find any of them at their homes. They then stationed some police outside each man's home.

By 2am there was still no sign of any of the men and as Hotch looked around at his team he could see the exhaustion on their faces. There was not much more they could do until they apprehended the men. He walked into the office they were using and told everyone to go back to the hotel to get some rest.

"But-" Morgan started

"Don't argue with me. There's nothing more we can do right now and we all need some sleep" he told them as he looked around at his team.

They all slowly filed out of the office and out of the police station. They piled into two SUV's and headed for their hotel which was only a few blocks away.

As they unloaded their bags and headed to the front desk to claim their room keys Morgan threw his arm casually around Emily's shoulders.

"Are we okay?" he whispered

She nodded as she turned to look at him, "We're good Morgan. I promise. I'm sorry"

He nodded, "Me too"

As they piled into the elevator, they found that Morgan and Reid's room was on the same floor as Emily and JJ's, while Hotch and Dave were sharing a room two floors higher. They said their goodnights as Emily, JJ, Morgan, and Reid stepped off the elevator on their floor.

As they walked down the hallway Emily and JJ came to their room first.

"Night guys" JJ said as she opened the door to their room

"Night" they responded

"Good night boys" Emily said as she followed JJ into the room

"Good night Emily" Reid replied as Morgan just smiled

As Emily entered the room she dropped her bag before falling face down, unceremoniously onto the bed.

"Em I'm going to shower real quick" JJ told her as she headed into the bathroom

Emily's response was muffled by her face still pushed into the bed. As soon as she heard the shower running she rolled over and sat up on the bed. She flipped on the bedside lamp before getting up and picking her bag off of the floor. She opened it and pulled out a picture of she and JJ with the kids. It was taken a few months ago, after their family went through a tragic event. She smiled as she looked at the smiles adorning all of their faces. Emily and JJ were sitting next to each other on the couch, Declan was sitting next to Emily, while Ethan sat next to JJ. Henry was sitting on Emily's lap, while Penny was perched on JJ's lap. They all looked so happy and Emily wanted nothing more than to be back home with them so that she could kiss them goodnight and tuck them into bed. She got up and set the picture on the dresser where she and JJ could both see it from the bed. Then she climbed back up on the bed and laid down on her stomach, waiting for JJ to finish her shower.

When JJ came out of the bathroom in her towel to grab her pajamas she found Emily sound asleep on the bed. She smiled as she bent down and kissed her lightly on the cheek before changing into her pajamas. She then climbed into bed rolling onto her side so that she could look at Emily.

"I love you Em" JJ said out loud before closing her eyes

JJ felt like she had just fallen asleep when she heard a scream. She jerked herself awake and looked at Emily, who was drenched in sweat, obviously having a nightmare. She sat up and turned towards the older woman. She reached out and attempted to shake her lightly, but Emily was flailing in bed and as soon as JJ's hand touched Emily's shoulder, Emily's hand reached out and grabbed JJ's wrist, latching on hard. JJ gasped as the pain shot through her arm.

"Emily" JJ continued, "Em"

Emily continued to grip JJ's wrist as her head writhed back and forth in pain. JJ's heart broke for her wife as she carefully reached her free hand up to Emily's face and brushed her fingertips lightly across Emily's cheekbone.

"Em, please wake up. It's just a nightmare. It's me, JJ"

Emily moaned but started to calm down so JJ continued to talk to her in a soothing tone and brushed some of her hair out of her face.

"It's okay Em…I'm right here"

Emily's eyes finally shot open and JJ could see the frightened look in the brunette's eyes before she sat up quickly and threw her arms around JJ's neck.

"You're okay" Emily said breathlessly

JJ nodded as she rubbed Emily's back soothingly, "I'm fine babe, you were having a nightmare"

Emily held onto JJ tightly before slowly pulling away. She reached up and brushed some of the blonde hair back around JJ's ear and that's when Emily saw the scar on the side of JJ's head. She traced it lightly with her finger before JJ reached up and took Emily's hand in her own.

"I'm fine Em" JJ told her as she squeezed her hand

Emily shook her head, "It was so real JJ"

"The dream" JJ stated

Emily nodded, "It was like a flashback to all of the worst times in my life. Doyle was there and I couldn't stop him from taking Declan, they disappeared and we never found them."

"He's okay Em, he's at home, safe and sound in his bed. All of our kids are" JJ told her reassuringly

Emily shook her head, "Then why don't I feel like they are safe?"

"Because we are working a horrible case involving kids"

"JJ the dream was so real…After Declan, you and Ethan were taken hostage and I couldn't stop them…they…Ethan was laying there…there was so much blood Jayje"

JJ pulled Emily back in for another hug as she held on tightly to the brunette, "He's okay Em, it was just a bad dream, I'm so sorry baby"

"I couldn't save any of them…not even you…He killed you too…He shot you in the head…I couldn't stop him"

"Emily listen to me. I'm fine, okay. The kids are fine" JJ told her as she pulled away to look Emily in the eyes

Emily's hand reached up to the side off JJ's head, near her temple as she traced the scar again with her fingers, "I almost lost you Jayje"

JJ's heart sank, knowing Emily was referring to the tragic event that had happened a little more than six months ago.

"Emily look at me" JJ said as she situated herself directly in front of Emily

She placed both of her hands on the brunette's thighs as she leaned towards her and kissed her lightly on the lips, "I'm okay, see. You didn't lose me"

"But I almost did" Emily pointed out

"But you didn't. I'm right here and I'm okay. We all are" JJ reminded her

Emily nodded, "I just don't think I could ever do this without you"

JJ tilted her head to the side, "You won't have to. I'm not going anywhere"

Emily and JJ looked into each other's eyes and JJ could see the desire in Emily's brown orbs. JJ leaned forward and captured Emily's lips with her own. Emily responded to the kiss as she grabbed JJ and flipped her over on the bed. Normally JJ would have let out a giggle but this was different. This was about desire, need, and proof…proof that they were both real, that this moment was real, coupled with the fact that anything could happen in their line of work. JJ moaned as Emily's lips latched onto her neck and began to suck on her pulse point. JJ's hands moved to Emily's back as she began to slide them under the older woman's shirt. But Emily caught JJ's hands and moved to pin them above her head. As she did JJ let out a hiss of pain causing Emily to flinch. The brunette's eyes scanned JJ's hands, where she found some swelling around JJ's left wrist. Emily immediately released her hold on JJ as she carefully examined her lover's wrist.

"I did that…didn't I" Emily asked sadly as she lay on top of JJ

"You didn't mean to Em. You were having a nightmare"

"That's doesn't matter Jayje. I hurt you…again" Emily replied sadly

"Emily it's okay. Nothing like this has happened in a long time. I promise I'm okay" JJ reassured her as she reached up and brushed some of the dark hair behind Emily's ear

Emily rolled off of JJ to lay next to her, "I hate that I can hurt you when I'm having a nightmare"

"Emily, you haven't had one of those nightmares in a long time. You and I both know that the stress from this case is what's caused it. These boys are the same age as our own, whom we haven't even been able to talk to since we got here. But they are fine, Garcia is staying with them and you know she would call if there was even a slight problem" JJ said as she rolled over on top of Emily to straddle her

Emily smiled slightly at the sight of an overprotective Garcia, knowing that what JJ had just said was the truth. Then she sat up with JJ still straddling her lap and caught JJ's lips with her own. As their tongues began a duel Emily's hands gripped the blonde's thighs as she slid her hands under the thin material of JJ's shorts, causing JJ to moan into Emily's mouth. Emily smiled into the sound that JJ was making as her lips left JJ's and began to travel down her throat and neck as JJ arched her back giving Emily better access to her throat. Emily moved her hands from JJ's thighs to her back as her hands went underneath the blonde's thin cotton t-shirt and began to rub lightly up her back. Then Emily grabbed the hem of JJ's shirt and pulled it up, her lips leaving JJ's neck only for a moment as she pulled the shirt completely over the blondes head before tossing it onto the floor. Their lips then met again as Emily's hands ran down JJ's back, sliding into JJ's shorts and gripping her ass firmly as JJ moaned into her mouth. JJ's hips began grinding down into Emily's causing her to moan into JJ's mouth as well. Emily then removed her mouth from JJ's as her lips traveled down the blonde's neck to her shoulder where she bit JJ lightly. Her mouth continued to move south as JJ arched her back when Emily's mouth came in contact with the top of her breast. Emily smiled as she gripped JJ's ass tighter as she closed her lips around one taut nipple and began to suck lightly while circling the tip of it with her tongue, causing JJ to moan out loud as her head fell further back and her nails dug into Emily's shoulders. As JJ continued to grind her hips into Emily's as she straddled her, one of their cell phones began to ring.

"Oh my God, you've got to be kidding me" JJ exclaimed in a breathless frustrated tone

Emily sighed as she removed her mouth from its current location and she fell back against the bed. She held onto JJ's hips as the blonde leaned across the bed to grab her phone from the nightstand.

"Jareau" she answered, still somewhat breathless, "Okay we'll meet you down there in twenty"

She then hung up before straightening herself back up as she continued to straddle Emily, who had laid back down on the bed, still fully clothed.

"The police arrested two of the suspects so Hotch wants us all back at the station. We need to meet downstairs-"

"In twenty" Emily finished

JJ smiled down at her lover before leaning down and capturing Emily's lips in one last deep kiss. Then she rolled off of Emily and off of the bed as she picked up her shirt from the floor. Emily moaned as she sat up and watched JJ walk across the hotel room. JJ turned around to find Emily staring at her.

"What?" the blonde asked innocently

"Oh don't even try to give me that innocent look. It won't work with me" Emily smiled

JJ returned the smile before saying, "You should probably change your clothes at least. Then maybe we can call Garcia and check on the kids on the way to the station"

"First of all I need a cold shower, secondly it's 430 in the morning Jayje" Emily pointed out as she got up and headed to the bathroom to turn on the water.

"Well I'm pretty sure Hotch called her so I'm sure she's awake" stated JJ

Emily nodded as she stripped her clothes from earlier in the day and stepped into the shower. She bit her lip as she felt her head begin to throb. When she finished her shower, she got out, wrapping a towel around her before she walked into the bedroom to find JJ almost completely ready. She then opened her bag and pulled out a pair of black pants and a white button up shirt. She continued to rummage through her bag until she found the bottle of aspirin and popped three in her mouth.

"You okay Em?" JJ asked as she watched the older woman

Emily nodded, "Yeah, just a headache"

JJ watched the brunette closely until Emily turned around and noticed.

"JJ I'm okay. I'm just tired and you know I get headaches when I don't get enough sleep." Emily reminded her

JJ nodded before walking into the bathroom to brush her teeth and her hair, while Emily got dressed. As they left their hotel room they were greeted by Morgan and Reid, Reid's hair still wet from the shower, as was Emily's.

"Did anyone get more than an hour of sleep?" JJ asked as she looked around

All three agents glared at JJ causing JJ to raise her eyebrows and bite her lip to keep from smiling.

When they got to the lobby they met up with Hotch and Rossi who looked like they had both slept for eight hours.

They all piled into the two SUV's, Emily and JJ riding with Hotch so that they could call Garcia. Once Garcia assured Emily, JJ, and Hotch that all of the children were safe they turned their focus back to the case.

They made it to the station and found that the two suspects who had been arrested had solid alibis for the times that all of the kids had been taken. They then focused on the one man who was still missing that they had not been able to talk to. Rossi called Garcia and had her search for any extra property that this man might have, where he could possibly be hiding.

About thirty minutes later Garcia called back and relayed what she had found, "Apparently Gary Sanders does not own much of anything, but his late sister, who passed away eight months ago, owns some land outside of town where she used to raise cattle. It's off of county road 22 and the land itself is about 150 acres"

"That has to be where he is" Morgan stated

"And where these kids are being taken" Reid added

"Garcia can you pull up the property to see if there is any housing on it?" Hotch asked

"You got it boss man" she replied before typing away on the keyboard as Hotch and the rest of the team loaded into the SUV's to head out to the land

Hotch, JJ, and Reid climbed into one vehicle, while Rossi, Morgan, and Emily took the other. They were followed by a line of police cars and ambulances.

"Sir, there is a house listed on the property as well as two barns" informed Garcia

"Thanks Garcia" Hotch responded before hanging up

When they got to the property Hotch had the ambulances and extra police cars wait at the entrance, while their two SUV's and two police cars drove down the road. When they pulled up to the house they could see two barns in the distance.

Hotch spoke into the receivers they all had by now attached to their ears, "I need two agents and an officer to search the house"

JJ got out of the car as Rossi got out of the other one. Once they were out Hotch drove towards one barn while Morgan drove towards the other.

JJ went up to the front door with the police officer while Rossi went around back. She knocked on the door once Rossi said he was in position. When she got no answer she identified herself before opening the door. Rossi entered the back at the same time she was going through the front. Once they had the downstairs cleared JJ started up the stairs with her gun drawn and Rossi close behind. When she got to the top of the stairs she followed the hallway and stopped outside one bedroom before swinging it open and Rossi stepping inside, followed by JJ. What they found broke JJ's heart.

When they entered the room they found a teenage boy laying on top of one of the beds, his eyes closed and his face badly beaten. As JJ stepped up to the bed, she recognized the boy as seventeen year old Jeremy Sumpter.

"It's Jeremy" JJ said as she turned to look at Rossi, "Check the rest of the rooms"

Rossi turned and exited the room with the police officer following as they cleared the rest of the rooms. JJ meanwhile had checked for a pulse and found one, immediately radioing for a medic.

Meanwhile Hotch and Reid made it to the closest barn while Morgan and Emily drove on to the other one.

Hotch and Reid got out of the vehicle before circling the barn to make sure there was no other way to escape. When they found there wasn't one, the two agents along with an officer swung open the barn doors and began checking all of the stalls. When they couldn't find anything they filed back outside to the SUV, when Hotch heard JJ radio for a medic.

Meanwhile Morgan, Emily, and the other officer had circled the barn and found that there was an exit on the back of the barn. Emily took the back while Morgan and the officer took the front. Morgan counted to three over their intercom before charging through the front as Emily came through the back. What they found when they came through with their guns drawn about broke all three officers hearts.

In the middle of the barn there was hay set up in a circle. Inside the circle were the two most recent kidnap victims, seven year old Michael and Jesse, fighting each other with their bare hands, each only in a pair of shorts and no shirt. Surrounding the circle were several of the missing children who were also badly beaten. They all stopped as soon as the agents entered the barn. Morgan and Emily were so shocked by what they had walked in on that they didn't see Gary Sanders or his partner in the loft of the barn.

Gary immediately knocked over some gasoline cans which spilled down below and around the kids and the agents before he tossed down a lighter, catching the barn on fire. As he did that his partner took out a gun and began firing at the kids and the agents. He ended up hitting the police officer and one of the kids before Gary swung open a door from the loft and grabbed a rope, jumping out, followed by his partner.

Morgan and Emily began herding kids out the front of the barn. Jesse and Michael had both collapsed from exhaustion in the middle of the circle, so Morgan and Emily both ran to them, each grabbing a kid, picking them up and running out the front of the barn. Once they had the kids a safe distance from the barn and they could see the rest of the team and paramedics heading their way they looked at each other and nodded. Then they jumped up and ran back into the barn, checking to make sure no one was still inside. Then they went out the back door and came to open field, where they could just see one of the suspects disappearing into a forest of trees. They took off in a dead sprint after the two men, each keeping pace with each other, their adrenaline pumping from the situation they had just encountered, as well as the chase that they were now currently on.

Hotch and the others had just arrived at the front of the burning barn and immediately raced over to the children laying on the ground and covered in bruises. As they looked around they counted only four boys, the two seven year olds, a twelve year old, and a nine year old. And they already had the seventeen year old accounted for. They were missing the five year old, Taylor.

"Where's Taylor? We are missing a five year old boy. He's not here" Hotch said looking around at the other kids

The nine year old was laying on the ground with blood pooling from his arm where he had been shot but he managed to whisper, "They took him away…into the woods…yesterday"

Hotch looked up and met the eyes of Rossi before looking back down at the officer who had been with Morgan and Prentiss and had been shot.

"Where did my agents go?" Hotch asked

"They went back into the barn, I'm guessing to check to make sure everyone got out. But I'm guessing they went after the suspects, who fled out the back of the barn" he answered

Hotch stood up and made eye contact with the rest of the team, "Let's go"

Reid, Rossi, JJ, and Hotch all took off around the barn where they were met with a wide open field, a forest of trees in the distance.

Hotch began to shout into their communication device, "Morgan, Prentiss, what's your location?"

He repeated himself three times as they ran before he finally got a response, "In the woods, heading south. Suspects out of sight"

"Be advised we are still missing five year old Taylor. The kids said he was brought into the woods yesterday" Hotch informed his two agents

Emily and Morgan had finally stopped running once they got into the woods. They slowed down, continuing to walk as they listened for any sound of movements. As they got deeper into the woods they started to spot different rock structures. As they came up near one they were caught off guard by Gary jumping off and onto Morgan as the two went flying forward and down a creek bed.

"MORGAN" Emily shouted as she watched them roll down the steep hill of the creek

She didn't have much time to react before a gun was fired in her direction. She dove onto the ground behind a tree before firing back towards the rock structure, where she knew the partner still was. As she took a chance peeking out from behind the tree a bullet whizzed by her head.

"Shit" she cursed as she flung herself back against the tree

She fired one more shot before it got quiet. She took another chance as she looked around the tree and she couldn't see anything so she jumped up and darted for the rock structure. As she climbed up it and reached the top of it she could see the suspect beginning to run. She jumped off the back of the structure and began her chase.

"FBI STOP" she shouted to the suspect, who continued to run

The rest of the team was running through the woods at this time after hearing all of the commotion over their ear buds, all of their hearts pounding. They finally came to the creek bed and found Morgan cuffing Gary Sanders at the bottom of the creek. Rossi and Reid eased their way down the creek to assist Morgan.

"You look like crap" Rossi said to Morgan as he took it the cuts and dirt now adorning the dark agents body

"Thanks" Morgan replied, "Where's Prentiss?"

"Chasing the other suspect" Reid informed him

Morgan looked up to see Hotch and JJ take off running towards the west. As Morgan plugged his ear bud back into his ear, after it had fallen off during the roll down the hill, he could hear what sounded like struggling over the ear piece. He handed Gary off to Rossi and Reid before turning and taking off in the same direction as Hotch and JJ.

Emily had finally caught up with the other suspect and she could see him slowing down. She yelled at him to stop again but he continued to try to run. She finally pushed herself almost to breaking point when she finally caught up with him enough to jump towards him, tackling him to the ground. They struggled a little before Emily overpowered him, mainly because he was exhausted from running. She jammed her knee into his back as she held his hands behind him and pulled out her handcuffs, before latching them onto his wrists. Then she bent down and asked him,

"Where is the five year old boy?"

He didn't answer so she jammed her knee into his back again, "Where is he?"

He groaned in pain but still didn't answer as she turned around when she heard footsteps behind her. She turned to see Hotch, JJ, and Morgan running towards her. She ignored them as she rolled the man over and pulled out her gun, jamming it into his throat.

"Tell me where he is" she said angrily

"Emily" Hotch warned

JJ reached her hand out to Hotch's arm, silently asking him to not say anything else.

Finally the man relented, "He's in the rock structure. If he's still alive"

Emily immediately pushed off of him and turned taking off in another sprint back towards the rock structure, JJ and Morgan hot on her heels, while Hotch was left to bring the suspect.

As Emily got to the structure, she was breathing heavily as she began to walk around it, looking for any kind of opening. JJ and Morgan caught up to her and they decided to look from the top. They all climbed up and found a small opening between two rocks. They looked at each other before JJ spoke up.

"I'll go, I'm the smallest" she stated as she took off her gun and handed it to Emily

"Be careful" Emily said as she watched Morgan take JJ's hands and ease her into the opening

As JJ slid through the opening she couldn't see anything and she could feel her back and arms rubbing against the rocks. She finally felt the ground so she released her hold on Morgan's hands. She then yelled for a flashlight which Morgan dropped to her. As she turned it on and shined it around the small area the light fell upon a small figure in a corner curled up on the ground, with just a pair of shorts on. She rushed over to him and rolled him over. As she felt for a pulse, she couldn't find one, but his body was still warm, so he had only stopped breathing recently. She picked him up and moved back to the opening in the rock.

"Morgan I found him. He's not breathing, but his body's still warm. I'm going to hand him up to you" JJ shouted

Morgan reached his hands down through the opening before he felt two small arms and he pulled the boy up as carefully as he could. He pulled him through the hole before turning him over to Emily who laid him down on the rock. She tilted his chin up and back to clear his airway before she began CPR on the small child.

Morgan turned and reached back into the hole for JJ, grabbing hold of her, he carefully pulled her up through the crevice in the rock. Once she was up they both turned to see Emily still trying to get the boy to breathe. Morgan yelled over his ear piece to get a medic out here as fast as they could. As JJ and Morgan sat there they both took a deep breath, praying this small child would be okay. Finally what seemed like it had been forever, when it had only been about a minute or so the boy finally took a deep breath, before coughing and slowly opening his eyes to look up at Emily.

"Hey little man" she said with a smile to the blonde headed, brown eyed boy

He just looked at her and she continued to smile as she brushed some of his hair out of his face, "It's okay now. You're safe"

She then looked back up and met JJ's eyes before looking at Morgan. All three agents had smiles on their faces just as Hotch, Reid, and Rossi came up with the two suspects.

Hotch looked at all three of his agents surrounding the small child as he said, "You three look horrible"

Rossi and Reid agreed as they looked at their team mates. Morgan was still covered in dirt and cuts, JJ was now just as filthy and her shirt had torn in some places where she also had some fresh cuts from when she slid through the rocks, and Emily was dirty and had a busted lip from when she tackled the other suspect.

Emily carefully picked Taylor up and he wrapped his arms around her neck as she made her way down the rock structure. The team walked back towards the field, with the boy and the two suspects. As they reached the opening of the field they could see the paramedics making their way towards them. Emily carefully handed over the small five year old, filling the medics in on his condition.

As the local PD finished clearing the area and the fire fighters got the barn fire put out the team was standing around taking everything in. Hotch looked at his team as Emily and JJ leaned against one SUV, while Morgan stood nearby pouring a bottle of water over his head to cool him off. Hotch then walked over gathering the team around him.

"We are going to head back to the hotel and cleaned up, then we will go back to the station and finish up the little bit we have left and then we will go home" Hotch informed them

They all nodded as they climbed into the two vehicles. Emily and JJ phoned home to talk to the boys, while Hotch called Jack. Once they got to the hotel they all went their separate ways, agreeing to meet back up in one hour.

As Emily and JJ entered their hotel room they both wanted nothing more than to collapse onto the bed and go to sleep, but they knew they didn't have time for that.

"What do you say to conserving water and showering together" JJ suggested as she walked into the bathroom and turned on the shower

"Sounds like a great idea, and then maybe we will even have time for little nap before we have to be downstairs" Emily said in a hopeful tone

JJ nodded as she untucked her shirt and kicked off her shoes, Emily doing the same. As Emily looked at her white blouse and then at JJ's blue one which was torn in some places she shook her head.

"I don't think either of our shirts survived today" she stated as she started unbuttoning her own

JJ looked at Emily, "You don't think I can save mine?" she said playfully causing Emily to smile

As they finished stripping off their clothes and JJ turned to walk into the bathroom Emily was able to see the scratches and cuts on JJ's back.

"Jen" she said as she walked up behind JJ

"What?" the blonde questioned as she turned to face the brunette

"Doesn't your back hurt?"

"It stings a little, why?"

"Because you have cuts and scratches in some places" Emily pointed out as she turned the blonde back around so that she could take a closer look

"It's probably from when I went through the opening in the rock, it was a tight fit. That's where I tore my shirt and I could feel the rock cutting me" JJ told her

Emily looked at JJ's hands as she turned the blonde back around and could see some scratches adorning her arms as well as her hands.

"It's okay Emily, I'm fine, really" JJ told her in a reassuring voice

Emily nodded as she watched JJ step into the shower. Emily followed a few seconds later as they both relished in the feel of the hot water cascading over their bodies. They washed each other's hair before finally deciding they needed to get out and pack their bags so they could be on time downstairs. As they got out and each wrapped a towel around themselves JJ noticed Emily smiling.

"What?" JJ asked

"We just took a shower together without having sex" Emily pointed out

"Em, we've done that before" JJ responded

"Yes but usually we haven't been sexually frustrated, and I don't know about you but after what happened this morning I'm a little bit frustrated. The sad thing is I'm too exhausted to do anything about it" Emily confessed

"Me too Em…on both counts. We need to sleep for like three days straight and then…Then I will rock your world" JJ said saying the last part in a seductive voice

"You always rock my world babe" Emily replied with a wink

JJ smiled and blushed as she pulled out her bag and began throwing things into it. Emily watched her with a smile before saying,

"We need to talk about a vacation. Ethan has already mentioned something to me about how we are always working. So we need to figure something out and soon"

"I agree" JJ replied as she pulled out her blow dryer and headed back into the bathroom

Emily put her hands on her hips as she watched JJ take over the bathroom, "Why is it you always get the bathroom and I am stuck out here getting ready?"

"Because you can't tell me no" JJ answered with a smile and a wink

Emily nodded, "That's true"

Emily then pulled out another blow dryer and began getting ready in the bedroom, while JJ finished up in the bathroom. Then they each pulled out a pair of clothes to put on. But before JJ got dressed she asked Emily to put some medicine on the cuts that were on her back. Emily agreed as she carefully covered the cuts and scratches with some medicine before they each got dressed.

As they walked out of their hotel room with their bags they once again met Morgan and Reid. Morgan was sporting a pair of jeans and a black short sleeve shirt and JJ shook her head as Emily, who was also wearing a pair of jeans and a black short sleeve shirt, fell into step beside him. JJ on the other hand was wearing a pair of black dress pants and a white short-sleeve shirt, while Reid was wearing a pair of gray slacks and a white collared shirt with a blue vest over the top of it.

Once they were in the air JJ stretched out on the sofa, falling asleep instantly. Emily shook her head as she looked over at her. She claimed a seat next to Morgan who had his eyes closed and earphones on. Across from her Reid curled up over the two seats. As Emily looked past Reid she could see Hotch and Rossi sitting side by side talking. Emily closed her eyes, hoping to relax enough to get a little sleep before they landed.

About three hours into the flight JJ woke up looking at the ceiling of the jet. It took her a moment to remember that they were on the plane and flying back to Virginia. She sat up and stretched out her neck before looking around the jet. She saw Rossi sleeping sitting up near the back and Hotch who appeared to be awake, sitting beside him. She got up to get a bottle of water and as she passed the four chairs they usually occupied she saw Reid curled up and asleep over two of the chairs. Across from him she saw Morgan asleep with his headphones on, with Emily's head on his shoulder, her eyes closed as well. She smiled as she passed them heading to get her drink. Once she got her water she took a seat near Hotch and they began a conversation.

When the pilot finally announced their decent the team slowly starting waking up. As Emily and Derek opened their eyes Emily realized that she had drooled a little on his shoulder.

"Sorry Morgan" she apologized as she wiped her mouth

He smiled, "That's okay Princess, it's not the first time a woman has drooled over me"

Emily rolled her eyes as she punched him playfully in the arm, "God Morgan"

He just laughed before they both turned their attention to Reid who was just sitting up. They both smiled at him and he returned the smile before realizing that they were looking at him like that for a reason.

"What?" he questioned as he looked down at his shirt

Emily bit her bottom lip to keep from laughing as Morgan replied, "Nice hair kid"

Reid's hair was sticking out in every direction possible as he reached up and tried his best to flatten it back out, but it wasn't working.

When they finally made it back into the bullpen they were greeted by a very boisterous Garcia.

"Hello my angels" she said with a smile and a bounce in her step

JJ's eyes went slightly wide as she smiled an 'oh my god' smile, while Derek smiled back and threw his arm around her shoulders.

"Hey baby girl"

"My lovebirds, you will be happy to know that the munchkins were wonderful and that they are at the house with Janet" Garcia informed JJ and Emily

"Thanks for staying with them last night" Emily told her with a smile

"Anytime kittens, you know how I love to spoil those kids" she replied

"Believe me we know" JJ said with a nod

"Okay guys everyone go home and get some rest. I'll see you in two days" Hotch said as he looked around at his team

"You're giving us the next two days off?" Morgan questioned

Hotch nodded, "This was a hard case and I think everyone needs a little down time, so I'll see you in two days"

Everyone went their separate ways before their boss could change his mind.

As Emily pulled into their driveway in JJ's four runner she took a deep breath before turning off the engine.

"You okay Em?" JJ asked from the passenger seat

Emily nodded as she turned to smile at JJ, "Yeah I'm just tired and can't wait to see the kids, although I'm sure they didn't miss us as much as we missed them"

"I don't know Em, sometimes our kids surprise me" she said to the brunette

Emily nodded before stepping out of the SUV and opening the back door to grab her bag. JJ did the same as they both slung the strap over their shoulders before turning and walking up the path to their house. They opened the front door and as they walked inside they could hear laughter echoing through the house. Emily and JJ both dropped their bags at the bottom of the stairs before turning and walking through the living room. JJ went straight for Penny's play pen as she picked her up and gave her a kiss on the cheek. Emily continued her trek to the kitchen following the sound of laughter. As she walked in she saw Janet cooking something on the stove and Henry on the floor as he held an action figure in both hands, having them battle. Emily smiled as she made her presence known.

"Hey Janet"

Janet turned around and smiled at Emily, "Hey you guys are back"

Emily nodded at her before Henry looked up at Emily from the floor, "Hi mama Em"

"Hey buddy" she said as she walked over to him

She bent down and scooped him up in her arms, hugging him tightly. She felt his little arms wrap around her neck before he pulled back.

"Mama I can't breathe" he told her as he struggled in her grasp

She immediately released the tight hold she had on him as JJ walked into the kitchen.

"Sorry buddy" she apologized before kissing him on the cheek

"Mama I'm a big boy now and big boys don't let their mama's hold them" he informed her seriously

Emily nodded as she looked into his light brown eyes before turning to look at JJ who sighed at his comment.

"Sorry" Emily said as she set Henry back down and walked over to JJ, taking Penny from her and kissing the toddler on the forehead

JJ then made her way over to Henry and bent down to look him in the eyes, "Do big boys still give their moms a hug?"

"Duh" he smiled as he threw his arms around JJ's neck and hugged her

"Thanks baby" she replied as she hugged him back

"Mama I'm not a baby, I'm seven" he told her as he let go of her

"Sorry" she said before cupping his face and kissing him on the lips

"Mommy" he exclaimed as he put his hands on his hips and stared at her

JJ rolled her eyes as she stood back up and turned to look at Janet, "Thanks for everything"

"No problem JJ" she replied with a smile, "I started dinner, but if you don't mind I think I'm going to take off"

"Of course, go ahead" JJ replied, "Where are the other two?"

"Ethan's upstairs and Declan's outside shooting hoops" Janet informed them

JJ turned to find Emily had already disappeared out the back door with Penny, so she turned and headed upstairs in search of Ethan.

Emily walked down the back steps to find Declan playing basketball, "Nice shot D"

Declan turned around and gave Emily a smile, "You guys are back"

Emily nodded as she walked up to him and smiled. Declan held the basketball in one hand while we wrapped his other arm around Emily for a hug.

"Sorry" he said as he pulled back realizing he was sweaty

"That's okay Dec, I'll take a sweaty hug from my kids any day" she replied as she shifted Penny on her hip

"Tough case?" he asked recognizing her expression

She nodded, "Yeah, but it's over and I'm just glad to be home with you guys"

Declan nodded as he turned around and shot the basketball, nailing the shot, before turning back around, "It had to do with kids didn't it?"

Emily cocked her head to the side, "What?"

Declan looked intently at her, "Mom I know that look. That's the look you have after you guys have dealt with a case involving kids"

"I am not that transparent" she told him

He shook his head, "No, but I've learned to pick up on things the last four years and that look you had was one of them"

Emily shook her head as she smiled at the teenager, "I don't know if that's a good thing or a bad thing"

"Well after you guys deal with a kid case, you always come home and find each of us individually to tell us your back. Whereas if it's not a kid case you guys may have just waited until we sat down for dinner before we realized you were back" Declan pointed out

"Wow, you may have a future in profiling" Emily replied

"Or I'm just observant" he answered

"Maybe so"

Emily turned to walk back inside, Declan beside her as he said, "I'm glad you guys are back"

"Me too" she told him

Meanwhile JJ had opened the door to Ethan and Henry's room only to find it empty. She turned around, getting ready to knock on Declan's bedroom door when she heard music coming from her bedroom. She walked down the hall and opened the door to the master bedroom finding the stereo on and Ethan practicing his break dancing on the floor in front of her and Emily's bed. JJ stood in the doorway for a moment just watching him as he moved with caress around the floor.

As Ethan stood up on one hand upside down he spotted his blonde mother in the doorway. He dropped gracefully into a summersault before jumping up and turning around.

"Hi mama J" he said with a smile and slightly breathless, "Sorry I'm in your room it's just that there is more room in here than in mine and-"

JJ didn't give him time to finish before she had crossed the room and enveloped the eleven year old in a tight hug. Ethan took a moment to react before he wrapped his arms around JJ's waist, hugging her back.

"I really don't care about that right now E" JJ told him as she stood there hugging him

Ethan nodded into her chest, knowing something must have happened to cause JJ to not care about him being in her room. One of the rules was that the kids weren't allowed to play in their parent's room unless they were present.

"Are you okay mom?" he questioned, but JJ only hugged him tighter

"I'm okay baby" she answered, "It was just a tough case"

Ethan nodded into his mother before she spoke again, "I love you so much E"

"I love you too mama" he replied sincerely, "Are you sure you're okay"

JJ finally released him from her tight hug and pulled back to look into his deep brown eyes. It took everything in her power to not picture eleven year old Marcus Johnson when she looked at her son. She smiled faintly at Ethan before bending down and kissing him on the lips lightly.

"I love you E"

He looked at his blonde mother with a confused look, "You already said that"

JJ smiled as his facial expressions mirrored Emily's when she was confused, "I know sweetie, I just needed to say it again"

Ethan nodded as his blonde mother squeezed his hand before turning and heading out of the bedroom saying, "Dinner in 30"

"Okay" he answered before sitting down on the cedar chest that was at the foot of his parent's bed

JJ passed Emily on the stairs, "Ethan up there?"

JJ nodded, "He's in our room"

Emily raised an eyebrow as she leaned against the railing.

JJ smiled, "He was practicing his break dancing and I couldn't be mad at him"

Emily nodded, "Declan is in the kitchen with Penny and Henry"

JJ nodded before leaning in and capturing Emily's lips in deep kiss before pulling away, "I love you Em"

"I love you too Jayje" Emily replied with a smile

"See ya in a few" JJ said as she descended the stairs in search of her blonde teenage son

Emily watched JJ for a moment before continuing her trek up the stairs, turning and walking down the hallway towards her bedroom. As soon as she got to the doorway she saw her son perched on the cedar chest at the foot of her bed.

"Hey little man" she said as she entered the bedroom and walked towards her eleven year old

The brunette boy turned and deep brown eyes met matching brown eyes, "Hey mom"

Emily tilted her head to the side as she sat down next to her son and wrapped her left arm around his shoulders pulling him in for a hug. He relented but then stood up and kept his back to her.

"Ethan?" she questioned

"You guys had a bad case, didn't you?" he asked still facing away from her

"What makes you say that?" Emily asked

"JJ kept telling me she loved me and she hugged me for like ever" he replied finally turning around to face his mother, whom he shared so many characteristics with

Emily sighed before nodding her head, "Yeah it was a tough one"

"Why? What happened?" he asked still staring at her

"E don't ask me that question, please" she said as she continued to look at him

When he didn't say anything she spoke up, "Let's just say it opened your mom and my eyes to how important you kids are to us and how much we love you. We couldn't wait to get home to you"

Ethan nodded slightly before walking up to his mom and placing a hand on her shoulder, "I'm sorry mom. I just don't like seeing you guys sad"

Emily smiled faintly at her sensitive son as she took his free left hand in her right and squeezed it lightly before giving it a little tug. Ethan smiled as he moved to sit on his mother's lap sideways; his feet still short enough to dangle off of the floor. She kissed him on the cheek as she wrapped her left arm around his back and took her right hand to brush some of his bangs out of his eyes before moving her hand down to his lap and taking his left hand in hers.

"I love you so much Ethan" she told him

"I love you too mama" he replied as he leaned into her and let his head fall into the crook of her neck, the way he would when he was little.

"I'm glad at least one of my boys still likes to be held" Emily said, trying to lighten the mood

Ethan sat back up as he turned to look at his mother, "What do you mean?"

"Henry was not too thrilled with me picking him up" she said with sad smile, "You boys are growing up so fast"

Ethan moved his free right arm and wrapped it around his mother's neck before kissing her on the cheek.

"Well you can hold me anytime, as long as it's not in public" he told her with a smile

Emily smiled back as she let out a small laugh, "Well I'm going to hold you too that for at least the next couple of years"

"Okay" he replied seriously, "I don't mind, it makes me feel safe" he told her matter of factly

Emily looked into her sons brown eyes and her heart melted, "Really?"

He nodded, "And don't tell anyone, but Jack still lets his dad hold him sometimes too"

Emily smiled and nodded, not surprised at this confession. Ethan and Jack were both sensitive boys. Whereas Ethan had a better way of hiding it than Jack did, all of the adults knew that inside he was just as sensitive as Jack acted.

"My lips are sealed" Emily promised her eleven year old, "So did you guys have fun without your mothers hovering over everything you did?"

Ethan shrugged, "We missed you"

Emily smiled as she pulled her son in for another hug. Ethan turned his upper body so that he could wrap both of his arms around his mother's neck as she wrapped her arms around his back and they both held each other tightly. Ethan rested his chin on Emily's shoulder as he held onto her.

JJ meanwhile had made it downstairs and hugged Declan tightly before checking the dinner on the stove. Then she turned to head back upstairs and change her clothes. When she got to the doorway of her bedroom she couldn't help but smile at the scene she witnessed. Ethan was on Emily's lap and they were hugging each other tightly. JJ watched as Emily rocked him side to side softly at first before then turning and shaking him playfully as she tilted him back in her arms and tickled him in his side. Ethan giggled as he kicked his feet and begged his mother to stop. JJ couldn't help but laugh out loud which caused both Emily and Ethan to turn towards her.

"Sorry" JJ apologized as she threw her hands up in surrender, "I was just coming to change"

"Save me mom" Ethan said as he looked at JJ from Emily's arms

"Sweetie I don't think I'm any match for your mother" JJ said jokingly

"Well you are definitely no match for the two of us" Emily said as she turned to look at Ethan, "Is she E"

JJ caught on to what was about to happen and she tried to back up back out of the room, but Ethan had already flown out of Emily's arms and was heading towards JJ, as was Emily.

"You guys seriously" JJ said backing around the bed

"Too late" Ethan said right before he pounced on JJ, taking her down onto the bed

Emily laughed as she joined Ethan and JJ on the bed, as the two brunettes ganged up on JJ. The blonde's laughter echoed down the stairs to the kitchen where Declan just shook his head and smiled.

After a couple of minutes JJ got hold of Ethan and began tickling him as he rolled on the bed in laughter. JJ finally sat up as did Emily as their eleven year old son laid on the bed catching his breath.

"Well if you two don't mind I'm going to change my clothes and then go back downstairs so we can eat" JJ said as she stood up from the bed

Ethan sat up and scooted to the edge of the bed next to Emily. He leaned up and kissed his brunette mother on the lips before hopping off of the bed and heading out of the bedroom.

"See ya downstairs" he yelled as he ran down the hall

Emily shook her head before she heard a noise, knowing exactly what he was doing.

"Ethan Tyler Prentiss no sliding down the banister" she yelled from her bedroom

As they all sat around the table eating dinner Emily looked at JJ and the blonde nodded her head.

"Hey guys, your mom and I were talking and we thought we'd take a vote" Emily began

"On what?" Ethan asked as he shoved a piece of meat into his mouth

"On where we should go on vacation" she answered

"Really?" Declan questioned with his mouth full of macaroni

Emily nodded, "Declan manners"

"Sorry" he replied his mouth still full, earning a glare from Emily

He smiled and she couldn't help but shake her head at the teenager.

"What are our choices?" the blonde teenager asked after he had swallowed his food

"Beach or mountains" JJ answered as she looked around the table at her family

"Beach" the two younger boys exclaimed excitedly

"Declan?" JJ asked

"I was going to say mountains, but I'm down for whatever" he replied

"Well we are taking a vote" JJ told the teenager

"Yeah but my money is on you agreeing with them" Declan said as he nodded in Ethan and Henry's direction, "And Emily agreeing with me. If my math is correct that's three to two in your favor"

JJ raised her eyebrow and drew her lips into a firm line as she looked from Declan to Emily. Emily threw her hands up as she raised her eyebrows and widened her eyes.

"Hey the kid has point" she replied

"So we are going to the beach then?" Ethan asked with a smile

"Looks that way little brother" Declan answered as he reached over and ruffled the eleven year old's hair

"Hey" Ethan exclaimed with a smile

Everyone laughed before they went back to finish their dinner. Emily and JJ's eyes connected across the table and they smiled at each other, both knowing they were happy to be home.

A/N: Please keep the reviews coming it really helps my ego when I feel like people are actually enjoying my story! Oh and the next chapter is already complete but there is a pretty big sex scene and I would really like you guys' input. I have that particular chapter rated mature, but if you guys would rather it not be in there I can take it out. Please let me know.


	5. Chapter 5WARNING MATURE CONTENT INCLUDE

A/N: Thanks for the reviews! You guys ROCK! And who else thinks that AJ/JJ's son is just absolutely adorable! Insert smilie face….Sorry it took me so long to post this, I kept rereading this chapter and changing things, etc. anyways enjoy

**WARNING: MATURE SEXUAL CONTENT INCLUDED**

Chapter 5

Emily and JJ were finishing up their second day off after the case involving the boys who were kidnapped and forced to fight each other to survive. Emily was still having problems sleeping even though she was back home in her own bed and knew her kids were sleeping soundly down the hall.

JJ and Emily had both worked hard to book a beach house at Virginia Beach for an almost two week vacation. If everything went accordingly they would be on their way in about a week and a half. Just after Declan's sixteenth birthday. The two women were also trying to come up with a great idea for his birthday. They knew it was a milestone that he shouldn't miss, even though he kept telling them that it wasn't a big deal.

The kids were all in bed, while JJ and Emily sat up in bed discussing possible things to do for Declan's birthday.

"I just don't know Em, what about taking him to a professional sporting event?" JJ asked as she leaned against the headboard

Emily shrugged her shoulders, "That would be nice I guess. But I was thinking we needed to do something that involved the family and his friends"

"Emily correct me if I'm wrong but he doesn't have that many close friends" JJ pointed out

"Well I think that has more to do with his trust issues than anything. All the kids on his lacrosse and soccer team seem to really like him and all of his teachers have nice things to say about him."

"Yeah but Em, he's the leading scorer on his lacrosse team and a huge part of his soccer team" JJ commented

"I know that Jayje. And he does have his friend Mike. He comes over here quite a bit" Emily said

"That's true. Although I'm not sure how good of an influence he is on Declan. He seems to constantly be in trouble"

Emily nodded, "But he's a good kid Jayje. He's kind, although a little goofy. And the trouble he is has more to do with being a class clown than anything else"

JJ rolled her eyes, "That's why you like him, because he's got a good sense of humor"

"Hey that is a good trait to have. And you have to admit, he comes from a good family" Emily pointed out

"That's true" JJ agreed, "So why don't we try to plan something for the whole family and invite at least Mike to come along?"

Emily nodded, "That sounds fine to me, but I think we should check with Declan to see who he wants to invite"

"Agreed" JJ said with a nod

"Well now that that's settled why don't we try to get some sleep. We do have to be back at work tomorrow" said Emily as she leaned over to turn off the bedside lamp

"But I'm not tired" JJ said in a seductive voice

Emily turned to make eye contact with JJ and could see her blue eyes turning darker.

"Jen" Emily whispered

"Emily I think we both need a release, don't you?" JJ questioned with a sly smile as she traced the line of Emily's collarbone

Emily quickly captured JJ's lips in hers as she flipped herself on top of JJ, straddling the blonde. She laced her fingers through JJ's as she pinned them beside the younger woman's head. JJ moaned into Emily as the brunette slipped a thigh between JJ's legs, as JJ opened them for Emily, to slide between and began to grind her hips into JJ's. Emily's lips began to trail kisses down the blonde's neck before she bit down lightly on her neck, sucking the flesh between her teeth, causing JJ to bite her lip to keep a moan from escaping her mouth, instead Emily heard a growl deep in JJ's throat, which earned a smile from Emily as she continued to suck on the blondes neck, grinding her hips into JJ. Emily could feel JJ's grip on her hands grow tighter as her mouth moved down the rest of her neck to her collarbone, where Emily left another mark on JJ.

Emily's mouth finally left JJ's body as she released the blonde's hands and moved to st up straight, straddling the blonde again, staring down and meeting JJ's lust filled eyes. She smiled down at JJ before she felt the blonde's hands run up her thighs and under her black silk spaghetti strap nightgown. Emily closed her eyes in response to JJ's hands as they traced the flesh of her stomach at the edge of her panties. JJ then grasped the bottom of the brunettes very sexy nightie and pulled it up and over the older woman's head. JJ's hands then went straight to Emily's breasts where she took one in each hand before massaging both of them gently earning a moan from Emily.

JJ took that opportunity to flip her and Emily so that she was now on top, straddling the brunette. JJ's lips moved to Emily's ear as she bent down and whispered,

"Shhhh, you've got to be quiet baby" before nibbling on Emily's ear

Emily bit her lip to keep from moaning out loud as she reached up and grabbed JJ's spaghetti strap shirt pulling it over her head and tossing it away. Then Emily's hands rubbed up and down the blonde's back as the blond bit down on the tender spot located on the brunettes neck, sucking gently, causing Emily to slide her hands down to JJ's hips and grip them tightly. JJ continued her attack down Emily's body as bare breasts rubbed against bare breasts, causing both women to moan. JJ's mouth then latched onto one of Emily's breasts eliciting a moan from Emily as she arched off of the bed. JJ smiled as she continued to lavish one of the brunette's breasts with her mouth, while she massaged the other with her hand. Emily's hands went to JJ's head as she ran her fingers through the long blonde hair before allowing her hands to wander down JJ's back and into her lace panties where she gripped the blonde's ass. Emily bit her lip to help control the moans that were threatening to escape, but she could not keep them completely at bay.

"God JJ…feels soo good baby" Emily said breathlessly as she closed her eyes and rolled her head to the side

"If you think that feels good, just wait" JJ said as she removed her mouth from the brunettes breast

JJ then moved her mouth to kiss the flesh between Emily's breasts before trailing kisses down the brunette's tight stomach. JJ's hands continued to knead the older woman's breasts as JJ dipped her tongue into Emily's belly button eliciting yet another moan from the brunette. JJ carefully let her tongue trace the scar on Emily's abdomen that was caused by Doyle, earning another moan from Emily as she dug her fingers into the blonde's shoulders. JJ then glided back up the brunette's body to capture her lips in a heated kiss as she grinded her hips into Emily's.

Emily took that opportunity to grab JJ's hips and flip them over so that Emily was once again on top. Her lips continued to assault JJ's as her hands moved down the younger woman's body, taking hold of the lace panties, JJ lifting her hips to help Emily get them off. Once they were disposed of Emily removed her own before spreading JJ's legs apart with her thighs. JJ moaned when she felt Emily's hip grind into her center before Emily captured the blonde's mouth again with her own. Emily continued to slowly grind herself into JJ as she kissed her before she stopped her rhythm and removed her mouth from the blonde's.

"Em…please" JJ begged breathlessly at the loss of contact

"Tell me what you want baby" Emily said seductively as she hovered above JJ

JJ's hands went to Emily's hips as she tried to guide the older woman's hips back into action, but Emily reached down, grabbing JJ's hands, moving them up, and pinning them once again on each side of her head.

"Uh uh uh…Tell me Jen…what do you want" the brunette asked again in a sultry voice

JJ stared into Emily's dark eyes as she answered, "I want you…inside me"

Emily then captured JJ's lips in another heated passionate kiss as their tongues dueled for control. Slowly Emily's lips moved down the blonde's neck, to her chest, where she kissed between the younger woman's breasts before looking up at JJ, who had her eyes closed and her head tilted back slightly fighting the urge to moan. Emily smiled before her mouth moved to one of JJ's breasts and she took the nipple in her mouth sucking it between her teeth and flicking the end with her tongue, causing JJ to arch off of the bed and moan loudly. Emily continued her assault on the younger woman's breast as she slid her hands from pinning JJ's wrists down to lacing their hands together. She felt JJ grip her hands tightly once they were laced together. Once Emily finished with that breast, she moved to give attention to the other one, while JJ continued to struggle under her assault. Emily also began to slide against JJ's center slowly.

"Emily…god…mmmm….your killing me" JJ moaned out

Emily released JJ's breast as she looked up at the younger woman's face, "I could always stop"

"Please Em" JJ begged

Emily could feel how wet JJ was so she released one of JJ's hands and slid her hand down the blonde's body as she moved to straddle her over her waist. Then without warning she slid two fingers into JJ bending over and capturing the younger woman's lips with her own just in time to swallow a moan. As Emily began pumping her fingers in and out of JJ, the blonde decided two could play that game. Sliding her free hand down her body, she let it rest right underneath Emily before shoving two of her fingers up into the brunette. Emily meant to bite down on her own lip to keep from crying out, but accidently bit down on JJ's, causing the blonde to groan and shove her fingers deeper into Emily. As both women continued to pump their fingers in and out of each other Emily released JJ's lips from her own. As she stared down into JJ's deep blue eyes she spotted the blood coming from the blondes bottom lip.

"I'm sorry Jen" Emily apologized breathlessly

"It's…okay" JJ squeaked out before she tilted her head back, closed her eyes, and parted her lips slightly

Emily marveled at the beauty of JJ as she bent her fingers, attacking the younger woman's g-spot in a come hither motion as she began to press her thumb gently into the sensitive nub. Emily had released JJ's other hand by this time and JJ's free hand moved to Emily thigh as her fingers and nails dug into the brunette's skin. Emily could feel the younger woman losing more control and she captured JJ's mouth with her own to prevent any screaming. JJ continued her thrusting with her hand as she added a third finger and began the same curled motion inside Emily that was being done to her, as well as flicking over the brunette's sensitive nub. Emily found herself losing control as well as she moaned into JJ's mouth and began grinding her hips down onto JJ's hand. Emily also found herself gripping JJ's shoulder tightly with her free hand before moving it to grip the pillow under JJ so that she wouldn't hurt the younger woman. Emily could feel JJ spiraling out of control as her breathing became more ragged and her body began to tense under her. Emily could also feel herself losing control as she moaned deeply into JJ's mouth. Both women began to climax at the same time, attempting to swallow each other's moans, but not being able to control themselves, Emily finally moved her mouth to JJ's shoulder biting down to muffle her scream, as JJ did the same with Emily's shoulder.

Emily finally collapsed on top of JJ her head buried in the younger woman's shoulder as both women let their spasms ride out and they tried to regain their breathing. Emily finally felt JJ's hands wrap around her back so Emily lifted her head up and supported herself on her elbows to remove some of her weight off of JJ. The blonde woman was smiling up at her, causing Emily to smile in return.

"Hi" Emily said with a wink

"Hi yourself" replied JJ with a giggle

"How are you feeling?" the brunette asked

"Amazing" the blonde answered

"That's funny, I feel pretty amazing also" Emily smiled

"Well babe, you are amazing" JJ said as she looked into Emily's eyes

"Well that's only because of you"

"Wow Em, that was pretty corny" JJ giggled again

Emily smiled widely before leaning down and capturing JJ's lips in another deep kiss before reluctantly pulling away. As Emily stared down at JJ she couldn't help but notice JJ's lip again.

"Jesus, Jayje, I'm sorry" the brunette apologized again as she shifted all her weight to the left so that she could trace over the blonde's bottom swollen lip.

JJ captured Emily's hand with her own, kissing the back of it, "It's okay Em, it's not like that's the first time we have left marks on each other. Besides it looks like I left some marks on you too"

JJ moved her hand over the left part of Emily's neck where there was a bruise forming where JJ had assaulted her neck with her mouth. Then she traced her fingers to Emily's shoulder where there were very prominent bite marks from JJ's teeth. Emily smiled knowing she wouldn't be able to assess the damage until she was in front of a mirror.

"Well you have some marks on you other than the lip" Emily said as she bent back down and kissed the spot on JJ's neck that was bruising from her teeth. Then she kissed the side of JJ's left breast where there was another bruise forming.

JJ giggled just before Emily pushed herself up off of JJ, so that she was once again straddling the blonde. As she did the sheet fell away from them and JJ's eyes grew wide.

"Oh my gosh Emily, I'm so sorry" JJ said as she sat up as well

Emily shook her head in confusion as she looked at the younger woman, "What?"

JJ's hand moved to Emily's left thigh where Emily immediately flinched. As the brunette looked down she saw the obvious claw marks as well as some blood in a few spots with some bruising forming in the shape of five fingers, where JJ had dug her nails into the older woman's thigh.

Emily smiled at JJ, "Well I guess we are even"

"Geeze Emily, you would think we hadn't had sex in months" JJ laughed as she fell back against the bed

Emily laughed as well as she rolled off of the blonde, "Well it has been awhile"

JJ rolled to her side as she supported her head with her right hand, staring at Emily, "I love you Em…more than I ever thought I could possibly love someone…let alone have them love me that much in return"

Emily smiled at JJ, "I feel the same way Jen and I love you so much…so much more than I ever thought was possible"

JJ could see the love and truth in the older woman's dark eyes and her heart melted. She leaned forward slightly to kiss Emily again, in a sensitive yet meaningful kiss. As she pulled away she saw Emily's eyes trace down her body, before staring at one spot.

"What?" JJ asked as she scanned her own body

"Looks like I left a handprint on you as well" said Emily as she motioned with her eyes to JJ's hip

JJ looked down and saw bruising forming in the shape of hand on her hip and couldn't help but smile as she looked back up at Emily.

"Well I know how you like to mark your territory" JJ said jokingly

Emily rolled her eyes at the blonde, "I make that joke one time and you won't let me forget it"

"Yep and I never will" JJ replied as she laid down next to Emily

After laying next to each other for awhile they finally decided they should put their pj's back on before going to sleep, just in case any of the kids came wandering into their room. Soon after they were both fast asleep. Unfortunately for Emily the sleep did not last long. She woke up about an hour later, drenched in sweat with JJ looking at her worriedly.

"Em" JJ said in a soothing tone as the brunette sat up, breathing heavy

Emily didn't say anything as she closed her eyes, bringing her knees up to her chest as she rested her chin on her knees.

"Emily, babe, look at me" JJ begged as she brushed some of Emily's hair behind her ear

Emily turned to look at JJ before she moved to sit Indian style facing the blonde. Then she reached forward and brushed some of JJ's hair behind her ear, as she traced the scar on the left side of JJ's head just to the side of her temple.

"Jayje…it was so real…only this time you didn't make it" Emily said finally getting her breathing under control.

"Emily I'm fine. I'm right here" JJ told her as she took the brunettes hand in hers before leaning forward and placing a soft kiss on the older woman's lips

"I'm going to go check on the kids" Emily said as she turned and rolled off of the bed, leaving the bedroom before JJ could say anything

Emily stopped at her daughter's room first, cracking the door and seeing the toddler sleeping soundly. Then she moved to the other end of the hallway, stopping outside of Ethan and Henry's room first. She opened the door and leaned against the door jamb watching the steady breathing of both boys. She smiled as she looked at Henry sleeping on his right side, his sandy colored hair hanging slightly over his face, while his left arm clutched his stuffed lion, Rory, tightly to his chest. He claimed he didn't need it anymore, but somehow it would always end up in bed with him. As her eyes moved to the top bunk she continued to smile at Ethan sleeping on his stomach, his left arm hanging off of the bed, dangling in the air, while his left foot also stuck out from under the covers. His face was turned in Emily's direction and his hair was also hanging over his face, his mouth slightly open, most likely drooling. Emily then walked into the room and bent down over Henry, kissing him gently on the cheek, before standing up and placing Ethan's arm back up on the bed and pulling the covers over his foot. She then combed her fingers through his dark hair, trying her best to get it to stay out of his face, before she kissed him on the cheek. She watched them sleeping a little while longer before quietly exiting their bedroom and walking across the hall to Declan's room. She opened the door to find the blonde teenager tangled in his covers and couldn't help but smile. He was sleeping on his stomach but the covers were wrapped so tightly around him Emily wondered how he was breathing. She bit back a laugh as she realized his feet were hanging off the end of the bed, sticking out of the covers that were wrapped tightly around him. She walked up to the bed and attempted to get his feet covered, but was unsuccessful. Then she knelt down beside his bed as she pushed some of his thick blonde wavy hair out of his face. She kissed his cheek before pushing herself back to her feet. As she did she noticed the picture on his nightstand. It was a picture taken of Emily, Declan, and JJ, shortly after his adoption had been finalized. Emily smiled, almost forgetting about that picture. Emily was standing behind Declan, her arms wrapped around his shoulders as she bent down slightly, a huge smile adorning both of their faces. Declan's hands were latched onto Emily's arms as he held onto her, obviously laughing. JJ had jumped onto Emily's back to get into the picture at the last minute. So she was perched on Emily's back, her head slightly above Emily's, as the brunette bent over slightly to accommodate JJ's weight, the blonde's arms wrapping lightly around the brunettes shoulders to hold herself steady while a huge smile was plastered across JJ's face as well. Emily picked up the picture looking more closely at it before setting it back down and turning to leave the room as quietly as she could.

After leaving Declan's room Emily headed downstairs, knowing she wouldn't be able to go back to sleep. She went into the kitchen, opening the fridge and looking through it for something to eat. Pulling out some cheese, she sliced a few pieces, before grabbing a box of crackers and a glass of water and heading into the living room, where she sat down on the couch. She pulled the coffee table closer to her so that she could reach the cheese and crackers, before grabbing the remote control and turning on the television. A few minutes later she heard footsteps behind her.

"I'm fine JJ, I'm just not tired anymore" Emily said without looking to see who it was

"How do you always know it's me" JJ questioned as she took a seat next to Emily on the couch

"Your footsteps are lighter than the rest of the gang" Emily stated

JJ smiled as she turned sideways on the couch so that she could look at Emily, tucking her left leg up under her, while the right one hung next to the couch.

"Cheese and cracker?" Emily asked as she offered the plate to JJ

"No thanks" JJ answered watching as Emily took a bite of the cracker and cheese herself before setting the plate back on the coffee table

"Emily talk to me" JJ begged

Emily turned and met JJ eyes and she could see the sadness in them.

"I already told you what the dream was about Jayje. There isn't really anything else to talk about" Emily said

JJ sighed, "Maybe we need to talk about it more. Talk about what went on a few months ago"

Emily turned to look back into JJ's blue eyes, "Why? It was a bad time"

"I know, but I don't know what else to do. I just want to help you Em" JJ told her

"I know" Emily replied

_Flashback to about 8 months ago:_

_It was the first week after Halloween and things had finally settled down around the BAU. The team never understood why it seemed that there was always some kind of bizarre event that would happen around that time and the team would be away trying to solve a murder, or in this case, murders. _

_They had luckily made it back the night of Halloween so Emily and JJ were able to take the kids trick or treating. Declan tagged along because Henry wanted him to. Ethan insisted on being Darth Vader, yet again, while Henry decided he wanted to be batman. JJ and Emily dressed Penny up for her second Halloween, although she was just a baby for her first one. This year she was dressed as a pumpkin, courtesy of Garcia._

_This first week in November was proving to be uninteresting, the team all discussing what their plans were for Thanksgiving. Hotch informed them that it was most likely just going to be him and Jack, because Jack's aunt was going to visit her parents for the holidays. Garcia then reminded everyone that she and Kevin were supposed to visit his family that weekend. Reid spoke of going to see his mother, while Morgan said he was going to see his mother and sisters in Chicago. Rossi was the only one who said he didn't have any plans except to relax at his mansion. As they stood around discussing their plans Hotch received a phone call regarding a new case located in the DC area. He informed the team ordering them all to meet in the conference room in half an hour._

_Slowly the team filed into the conference room as Garcia passed out the files for their newest case. As everyone opened the folder they found the pictures of the victims._

"_Women are being kidnapped and murdered within a day" Hotch informed them as he looked around the table_

"_The women are between the ages of 35-45 of no particular race or similar physical characteristics" Morgan added as he flipped through the file_

"_All of these women seem to be holding a position of high authority" Emily pointed out_

"_Only one of the three women was married" JJ replied_

_Rossi nodded, "And one woman had a child but was unmarried and there was no listing of a father"_

"_Artificial insemination?" Reid suggested_

"_Or a one night stand" Emily countered_

"_Okay Reid and JJ go to the newest crime scene. Rossi and Prentiss to the second crime scene. Morgan and I will look at the first. We will meet back here afterwards" Hotch ordered as he watched his team split into pairs and head out of the room._

_A couple of hours later the team gathered back in the conference room to discuss what they had found._

"_The first crime scene was just outside the city. The unsub must have known it would be unlikely that anybody would see him dump a body" Morgan said_

"_The second crime scene was in a prominent neighborhood. But people tend to keep to themselves. It's not the kind of neighborhood where you are friends with your next door neighbor" Rossi replied_

"_His most recent choice for dumping a body was in an alley. There aren't a lot of restaurants on that particular street so if he dumped the body at night, there's a good chance no one saw him" JJ finished_

"_Okay so this guy obviously has a problem with women who are in authority" Emily said_

_Reid nodded, "The first woman killed was the CEO of a banking firm. The second woman was a prosecutor, and the most recent victim was head of an advertising firm. All powerful positions"_

"_What do we know about the three women's personal lives and how they treated others" Hotch questioned_

"_Lisa Madison, the first victim was 42 years old, was apparently not very friendly. She didn't seem to like the staff that requested vacations and tended to be hardest on them once they returned" Rossi said filling the others in_

"_Tina Ray, the second victim was 37 years old, was a well known prosecuting attorney. She was a tough lady according to her boss and the other attorney's in her office. She wasn't very friendly and tended to keep to herself. She was however the one who was married. The husband is the head of a construction company, but she obviously is the one with the money" Morgan added_

"_And we all know the more money, the more power" JJ said shaking her head_

"_The latest victim, Jane Frost, was 40 years old with a five year old daughter, no known boyfriend. She was in charge of a huge advertising firm where people described her as your basic bitch" Emily said, looking up as she said the last part._

"_The unsub most likely had a very dominant and demanding mother. Most likely he has been a relationship with a similar woman and has finally decided to take revenge" Hotch said_

_After following a few different leads Morgan, Emily, Reid, and JJ thought that they had finally caught a break after interviewing a witness who claimed he saw two men dumping one of the bodies. After further research they found these two brothers fit the profile to a T and that they shared a house in an upscale neighborhood. Hotch told the four agents to head over to the house and that he and Rossi would meet them there, but if they felt that they needed to go ahead and enter the house they could, as long as they had back up._

_Morgan climbed into the driver's seat as Emily climbed into the passenger seat, while Reid and JJ jumped into the back seat. They parked a couple of houses down from their destination so that they didn't spook the suspects. As the agents filed out of the vehicle they pulled on their Kevlar vests and put their ear buds into their ears. As they waited for Hotch and Rossi to arrive, they started becoming inpatient, Emily and Morgan pacing beside their SUV. Finally Morgan decided they should go in._

"_We have back up guys, we need to go in" Morgan stated_

_The other three nodded so they drew their guns, signaling to the uniformed officers to follow them. The four agents split up, with Reid and JJ going around back, while Morgan and Emily took the front. An officer went with each pair. Morgan pounded his fist into the front door._

"_FBI open the door" he yelled_

_When there was no answer he hit the door one last time, "FBI open the door or we are coming in"_

_There was still no answer so Morgan kicked the door open as he and Emily burst inside. Morgan went to the left as Emily went to the right. Emily was starting up the stairs when there was a commotion coming from the back of the downstairs. She turned, aiming her gun back down the stairs, as she was about to speak over her mic, but then she heard Morgan's voice._

"_Look just let her go and we can talk about this"_

_Emily's heart sunk when she heard those words. She immediately finished going downstairs, rounding the corner and coming through a doorway into the kitchen. As soon as she got to the doorway she saw one of the brothers with his arm tightly wrapped around JJ's throat and a gun up against the side of her head. Emily's stomach immediately began doing flip flops as she tried to keep herself calm. She also spotted Reid on the floor, blood running from his forehead. Her sudden movement caught the attention of the brother and he jerked JJ to the side, turning slightly, so that he could use her to shield himself from both Morgan and Emily, who had their guns aimed at him._

"_Don't move or I'll put a bullet in her" he shouted angrily as he jerked her again_

_Emily could see that JJ was struggling to breathe, the man had such a tight grip on her._

"_Okay, okay. Look why don't you loosen your grip just a little, she can barely breathe" Emily said calmly_

_This just made the brother grip her tighter as JJ tried to get leverage by pulling on his arm with her hands, but that pissed the man off also and he dug the gun into the side of her head,_

"_DON'T MOVE" he shouted into JJ's ear_

_Emily's heart was breaking and as she looked at Morgan she could see the fear in his eyes as well. She then turned her attention back to JJ and their eyes locked. As they stared intently at each other the brother noticed._

"_What the hell are you two doing? Stop looking at each other like that" he ordered as he jerked JJ again_

_Emily could see that she was starting to fade, so she kept looking into JJ's blue eye,s trying to relay to the blonde that everything was going to be okay, as she started talking to the man._

"_Look you don't want to do this. She's a federal agent"_

"_I know! That's why she deserves to die" he shouted_

_Emily shook her head, "Just because she's an FBI agent doesn't mean she deserves to die. I know that you probably think that since she is in a position of power that she's a bad person, but she's not" Emily told the man calmly as she took a step closer_

"_Don't come any closer!" he yelled at her_

"_Okay" Emily said as she held her hands up, her gun still in hand, "Just listen to me, okay. The agent that you have, her name is Jennifer and she is not a bad person. She's actually one of the kindest women I know."_

"_You're just saying that" he said this time without yelling_

_Emily shook her head again, "No I'm not. I promise. She is the kind of person you would want as a best friend. She's always there for her friends, even for people she doesn't know. She's very compassionate and has a big heart"_

"_So what? Just because you say that she is those things, you think I should let her live?" he questioned as he stared at Emily_

_Again Emily shook her head, "No I think you should let her live because she's a mother. She has four children who expect her to come home and tuck them in before they go to bed."_

"_Maybe she's a bad mother" he said raising his voice again_

"_No she's not, she's an amazing mother. Her kids love her so much. She's the kind of mother every kid, sometimes even adults, wish they would have had. I know I wish I would have had a mother like her when I was growing up. She tells her kids, and shows them, how much she loves them every day. Do you really want those kids to grow up without a mother?" Emily questioned_

_As the man looked at Emily and then to Morgan, Emily kept her eyes trained on JJ's. She could see the younger woman fighting to hold on and Emily saw the stray tear that ran down her cheek. Emily was having a hard time keeping her own tears at bay. _

_Emily saw the man slowly start to lower his weapon, but they had all been so distracted by this brother that they forgot about the other one, who chose that moment to step through the back door and yell at his brother._

"_Don't do it little brother, they are lying"_

_The man holding JJ spun around, "She's a good person David"_

"_They're lying to you" the man name David shouted as he aimed his gun at JJ and fired_

"_NO" Emily and Morgan shouted simultaneously as they both fired their weapons at David_

_But that was not before David managed to fire a second shot at his brother. Emily watched in horror as the man and JJ hit the floor hard. Emily wanted to run to JJ so badly, but she knew she had to clear David first. She saw that she and Morgan had both hit him with fatal shots, so she kicked the gun away from him before turning to look at Morgan who was rolling JJ off of the other brother. As he rolled her onto her back Emily's eyes grew wide at the blood draining from the side of JJ's head._

"_JJ" Emily shouted as she crossed the couple of feet to where the younger woman was lying._

_Emily knelt down beside her as she felt for a pulse. Releasing the breath she had been holding she looked at Morgan._

"_She's breathing but we need a bus. NOW" she yelled at her partner_

_Morgan pulled out his cell as he called for a bus. Then he checked the other brother, but found no pulse on him. Morgan then jumped up and ran towards the front door._

"_We need a medic in here. Officer down" he shouted as he saw two medics rushing up the walkway towards them, along with Hotch and Rossi_

_As the medics came into the kitchen they saw Emily kneeling beside JJ trying to put pressure on the side of her head. They pushed Emily aside so that they could take over. She sat against the cabinets with her knees up to her chest as she watched the medics hook JJ up to an IV and strap her onto the back board. Once that was done one medic moved to Reid, who was just waking up._

"_Sir are you okay?" the medic asked Reid_

_Reid nodded._

"_You need to come with us to the hospital. There's another bus outside" the medic said as he radioed for the other medic to come get the young agent._

_As the medics picked the gurney up with JJ on it, Emily pushed herself off of the floor and followed the medics out of the house. They loaded JJ into the back of the bus as Reid climbed into the other ambulance._

"_I'm going with her" Emily said as she turned to Hotch_

_He nodded as he watched the brunette climb into the back of the ambulance. As he turned around he found Rossi and Morgan standing there._

"_I think the local PD can handle the rest. Let's get to the hospital" Hotch said as he headed towards one of the SUV's_

_Rossi headed for the other one, knowing Morgan was in no shape to drive. They put their sirens on as they made their way to the hospital._

_When they finally arrived they found Emily on the fourth floor, pacing outside the surgery waiting room. Morgan was immediately by her side._

"_Emily, how is she?" he asked as she stopped pacing to look at Morgan_

_She shrugged her shoulders, "I don't know. They wouldn't tell me anything except that they needed to get her in the OR ASAP. They left papers for me to fill out but I can't…"_

_Morgan started to pull her in for a hug, but she pushed away, "I'm fine Morgan"_

"_No you aren't Emily. Your wife was just shot right in front of you. Jesus Em, you still have blood on you" he said as motioned to her hands and her shirt_

_Emily looked down and saw her blue button up shirt streaked with blood, as was her hands. She looked back up at Morgan and he could see the walls go up._

"_I need to go clean up" she said as she turned to go look for a bathroom_

_Morgan turned back around to look at Hotch and Rossi, "She's not okay"_

_They both nodded before Hotch spoke up, "I know Morgan but this is Emily, we can't force her to admit anything"_

_Morgan nodded, "I'm going to call Garcia" he said as he turned and pulled out his cell phone as he walked down the hallway._

"_I'm going to go see if I can find Reid, I'm guessing he is still in the emergency room somewhere" Rossi said as he turned and headed to the elevators._

_Hotch took a deep breath before he turned to look for the restrooms. When he finally found it he stood outside the women's bathroom waiting for Emily to come out. After fifteen minutes he finally knocked on the door. When he didn't get an answer he pushed open the door and walked inside. He saw Emily standing with her hands on the counter, the water running and her shirt wet. Hotch knew she had been trying to get the blood out. He unbuttoned his white long sleeve shirt, taking it off so that he was now in just a white undershirt._

"_Here Emily, why don't you put this on" he said as he held his hand out with his shirt_

_She finally looked up at the mirror seeing Hotch standing partially behind her. She shut off the water and turned around, reaching out to take his shirt. She then walked into one of the stalls, taking off her blue shirt and putting on Hotch's white long sleeve shirt. Her fingers shook as she buttoned the buttons. She rolled the sleeves up as she opened the stall door and walked back out, finding Hotch still standing there. He took the bloodied shirt from her and walked over to the trashcan throwing it away. He turned back to Emily and watched her finish rolling up the other sleeve so that the shirt didn't completely swallow her._

"_How's Reid?" she asked as she looked back up at Hotch_

"_Rossi went to find him" he answered_

_Emily nodded as she walked towards the door, Hotch following her. As they exited the bathroom and came around the corner they saw Morgan standing outside of the waiting room._

"_Garcia's on the way" he said looking from Emily to Hotch_

_Both agents nodded as they walked into the waiting room, which luckily was empty. Emily found a seat and sat down, Morgan sitting down beside her. Hotch remained standing as he began to pace around the small space. A few minutes later Rossi and Reid came into the waiting room, with Reid sporting a nice size bandage on his head._

"_Reid are you okay?" Emily asked as she stood up and walked over to him_

_He nodded, "Just a few stitches"_

_Emily nodded sympathetically. Reid then looked down at the floor before looking back up at Emily._

"_I'm so sorry Emily" he apologized, tears filling his eyes_

"_For what Reid? It wasn't your fault" Emily told him_

"_Yes it was. They were waiting for us in the back. As soon as I walked in one of them hit me in the head with something, I guess that's when the other one grabbed JJ" Reid said sadly as tears started to fall down his cheeks_

"_Reid listen to me. It wasn't your fault. Do you hear me? It could have just as easily been Morgan and me. I don't blame anyone but those brothers okay. It's not your fault" she said as she pulled the younger man in for a hug_

_Reid nodded into her shoulder as he fought back the tears. When Emily released him she looked into his eyes and Reid could see that she did not blame him. They smiled slightly at each other before they both sat down._

_About twenty minutes later Garcia came bursting into the waiting room._

"_Oh my gosh. Where is she? How is she?" she blurted out_

_Morgan pulled her in for a hug, "Calm down baby girl. We don't know anything yet. She's still in surgery"_

"_Oh my God" Garcia said as her eyes grew wide_

_Emily remained in her seat as Morgan pulled Garcia into a chair beside him, trying to calm her down. After they had all been sitting there for about an hour Emily popped out of her chair._

"_The kids. What time is it?" she asked as she looked at her watch, realizing that she was wearing JJ's silver watch rather than her own black one_

_She fought back the tears as she stared at the watch. Morgan was beside her in a second as he touched her arm lightly._

"_Emily" he said catching her attention_

_She looked up at him and saw the question in his eyes, but she just shook her head, "I need to get the kids"_

_Morgan put both of his hands on her shoulders to stop her, "I'll go get them Emily. You should wait here"_

"_No they need to hear it from me Derek" she said as she tried to push away from him_

"_Emily" Hotch said as he walked over to her and Morgan_

_She turned to look at her boss, Morgan's hands still on her shoulders._

"_I will go get them okay. I will explain everything to them. You should stay here, okay" he said in a soothing voice_

_Emily nodded and Morgan felt her muscles relax under his grip so he dropped his hands from her shoulders. But just as he did Emily spoke up again._

"_Her parents"_

"_Do you want me to call them?" Hotch asked as he looked at the brunette_

_Emily shook her head, "I should do it…but…they don't…they don't like me"_

"_I can call them Emily. I'll do it on my way out, okay" Hotch said as he nodded at the female agent_

_Emily didn't say anything, just nodded her head slightly._

_Hotch turned and walked out of the waiting room to go get the kids. As he drove towards his own house he said a silent prayer that JJ would be alright. He didn't know what Emily and those kids would do without her. She had managed to break down so many of Emily's walls, that Hotch was afraid of what would happen if JJ didn't make it._

_As he pulled into his own driveway he took a deep breath before dialing JJ's parent's number. After filling them in on what had happened he took another deep breath before getting out and going inside. He found his sister in law in the kitchen and she turned to smile at him._

"_Hey Aaron, I didn't know you were coming home early" but her smile dropped when she noticed his expression and the fact that he only had one of his undershirts on_

"_Aaron, what happened?" she asked in a concerned voice_

"_I need to take Jack with me. You can go home if you want. I'm not sure when I will be back" he said as he turned to walk out of the kitchen._

"_Aaron Hotchner answer my question" she said loudly_

_He turned back around to look at her before he answered, "JJ was shot and it's not good. I'm supposed to pick up their kids and take them to the hospital, but I figured Ethan and even Henry could use Jack around. Plus he loves JJ and he deserves to know what's going on"_

"_Oh my God. How?" she asked_

"_They raided a house. Things went wrong and she was shot in the head" he told her without any emotion showing_

"_Aunt JJ was shot in the head?" Jack questioned with wide eyes as he stood in the doorway of the kitchen and the dining room_

_Hotch turned around to look at his ten year old son. He walked up to him and bent down to look him in the eyes._

"_Yes buddy, she was shot. But we don't know how bad it really is, okay" he told his son_

"_But you said she was shot in the head" he repeated_

_Hotch nodded, "Jack, honestly, I don't know if the bullet actually went into her head or if it just grazed her, but either way she's in surgery and I need to go get Ethan and his brothers. Do you want to come with me?"_

_Jack nodded, "Yes"_

_Hotch nodded, "Okay. I'm going to go grab another shirt and I'll be right back"_

"_Aaron" his sister in law called_

_Hotch turned around to see what she wanted._

"_What about the littlest one? Are you going to take her up there?" she asked_

_Hotch thought about it for a minute and then shrugged, "I don't know. She's so little, I guess I'll just see what kind of mood she's in when I get to the house"_

"_What if I go to the house with you. I could stay with her while you take the boys" she suggested_

_Hotch shook his head, "I can't ask you to do that"_

"_Please, let me help. I don't have anything else to do and it will be one less thing you guys have to worry about" she told him_

_Hotch finally relented as he nodded his head, "Okay. Thank you"_

_She nodded as she walked up to Jack and gave him a hug as Hotch ran upstairs to grab a shirt. A few minutes later Hotch and Jack were on their way to Emily and JJ's, with his sister in law following them. As Hotch pulled into the Prentiss-Jareau household he took a deep breath before cutting off the engine. Then he turned in his seat so that he could see Jack who was in the back._

"_You can come in with me Jack, but I need to do the talking okay" he told his son_

_Jack just nodded before taking off his seat belt and opening his door. Hotch, Jack, and Jessica walked up to the front door before Hotch rang the doorbell. He heard commotion inside before a body seemed to hit the door. Hotch recognized the voices of Declan and Ethan, before the door finally opened revealing the fifteen and ten year old._

"_Hi Uncle Aaron. Hey Jack" Ethan said with a smile_

_Hotch tried to return the smile to the best of his ability, as did Jack, but it didn't fool Declan or Ethan. Declan was the first to break the silence that followed._

"_What's wrong?" the blonde teenager asked as he looked at Hotch_

"_I need to talk to you guys" Hotch said as he stepped inside, followed by Jessica and Jack_

_Declan shut the door behind them before turning and following Hotch into the living room, where their sitter, Janet, came around the corner._

"_Hotch, hi, what are you doing here?" she asked with a smile, before it slowly faded_

"_Hotch just tell us what's wrong. You're freakin me out" Declan said_

_Hotch turned to face the teenager who was standing beside Ethan and his heart broke at everything these boys had been through so far in their life._

"_Please Uncle Aaron, we know something's wrong" Ethan told him, his voice cracking as he spoke up_

_Hotch nodded, "I'm going to tell you two what is going on because you are old enough to know" he said looking at Declan, "And you are too old for your own good, definitely your mother's son" Hotch said turning his attention to Ethan_

"_Where's Henry?" Hotch asked_

"_He's upstairs" answered Declan, "Now tell us"_

"_JJ's in the hospital. She was shot earlier today" he said looking from one boy to the other_

_Declan swallowed the lump that had formed in his throat before asking, "Is she okay?"_

_Hotch paused a moment before answering the question, "She was still in surgery when I left to come here"_

"_Where was she shot?" Ethan asked, staring at Hotch with his deep inquisitive eyes_

"_The bullet hit her in the head" he answered as he stared back into the dark eyes of the ten year old who had more wisdom and knowledge than a normal ten year old should_

"_Her head?" Ethan repeated, his voice shaky_

_Hotch nodded, "But there are some really good surgeons working on her and you guys know how strong your mom is"_

_Both boys nodded before Declan spoke up again, "How's Emily?"_

"_She's being…Emily" he answered truthfully, receiving a nod from Declan_

"_She wanted me to get you boys and bring you up there. She felt you needed to know what was going on" Hotch told them_

_They both nodded before Janet, who was still standing in the room, spoke up, "What about Penny?"_

"_Jessica is going to stay with her so that you can go home. We didn't want to put you out, we know you have school tonight and your husband will be worried if you don't get home soon" Hotch told the mid twenties sitter_

_She nodded, "Please keep me informed on how she is doing. And if they need anything, just call me"_

_Hotch nodded as he watched Janet hug both Ethan and Declan before gathering her bags and heading out the door. He then turned his attention back to the two boys in front of him._

"_I don't think we need to tell Henry exactly what happened, okay. Let's just tell him that his mommy is hurt" Hotch said_

_Both boys nodded before Declan said, "Is it okay if Ethan and I tell him?"_

_Hotch nodded as he watched the boys walk slowly up the stairs. Then he turned back to Jack and Jessica who were standing behind him and he could see the sad expressions on their faces._

"_It's going to be okay guys, JJ is a strong person" he said, although he wasn't sure if he was trying more to convince them or himself_

_Jessica then walked over to the play pen in the living room, where Penny was napping. She bent down and brushed some of the golden hair out of the toddlers face._

_Meanwhile Declan and Ethan walked into Henry's bedroom and found him playing with his action figures on the floor._

"_Hey H" Declan said with a smile as he sat down Indian style next to the newly turned seven year old_

"_Hey" he answered, looking up a moment, before turning his attention back to his action figures._

"_Henry we need to talk to you for a sec okay" Ethan told his brother as he knelt down beside him_

"_Okay" he replied as he pushed himself back onto his knees so that he could face both of his big brothers_

_One thing all three boys shared was that they were all pretty perceptive when it came to feelings, and as Henry looked at his brothers he knew something wasn't right._

"_What's wrong?" Henry asked as he looked from Declan to Ethan_

"_It's mommy" Ethan said, knowing Henry would know he was talking about JJ_

_Henry's face slowly dropped as he stared at Ethan, before turning to look at Declan, "What's wrong with mommy?"_

_Declan swallowed as he looked into the light brown eyes of the seven year old, "Mommy was hurt at work today and she's in the hospital"_

_Henry stared into Declan's bright blue eyes, "Where was she hurt?"_

"_She hurt her head" Declan answered_

"_Is she okay?" he asked_

"_The doctors are fixing her right now, but we need to go to the hospital with Uncle Aaron, okay" Declan responded_

_Henry nodded before his facial expression changed and he looked back at Declan, "What about mama Em?"_

_Declan smiled slightly, "Mama Em is at the hospital with mommy, but she's not hurt. And you know what would make her feel better?"_

"_What?" Henry asked_

"_To get a great big hug from you when we get there" Declan told the seven year old before standing up and grabbing Henry under the arms to lift him up and stand him on his feet._

"_We need to go, Uncle Aaron is waiting for us" Ethan said as he stood up_

"_Henry you need to put a jacket on and get your hat" Declan told the little boy_

_Henry nodded as he walked over to his closet, Ethan close behind. Ethan reached around Henry and grabbed the little boy's baby blue beanie. He watched as Henry pulled it onto his head and down over his ears. Then Henry walked back over to where his toys were and plopped down onto the floor to pull on his navy blue converse shoes. Ethan then pulled on his own black beanie before stepping into his red, white, and black high top skater shoes. Then he grabbed his dark blazer out of his closet and pulled it on over his long sleeve red t-shirt. He bent down and rolled the bottom of his jeans up one time before turning to look at Henry. Ethan watched as Henry copied him, rolling up his jeans one time before standing up and looking at Ethan._

"_Let's go little brother" Ethan said as he walked up to Henry and threw his arm around his shoulders_

_As they got out the bedroom door Henry stopped, turned around and ran back into his room. Ethan watched as Henry grabbed his stuffed lion, Rory, off of the bed before then turning to run back over to Ethan._

"_Just in case mama Em is sad" Henry stated_

_Ethan smiled at Henry's innocence before they descended the stairs where Hotch and Jack were waiting. Not a moment later Declan came downstairs in jeans, black converse shoes, and a baby blue sweatshirt, his baby blue beanie in one hand and his backpack slung over his shoulder. When he got to the bottom of the stairs he grabbed his black leather jacket off of the banister, dropping his backpack onto the floor to throw on the jacket. Then he picked up Henry's brown leather jacket, helping the seven year old put it on, while Ethan grabbed his black leather jacket and pulled it on. Then Declan pulled on his baby blue beanie, his blonde hair curling out under it, before grabbing his pack and slinging it back up over his shoulder. As he looked up he saw Hotch staring at him._

"_What?" questioned Declan_

_Hotch shook his head at the teenager, "Nothing. Let's go"_

_But in his mind as Hotch looked at Declan he noticed how people could easily mistake him as JJ's biological son. Especially as Hotch looked at him with his baby blue sweatshirt and matching beanie, his blonde hair curling out from under the hat, and the fact that the blue he was wearing made his eyes stand out even more._

_He turned and ushered the boys outside before turning to Jessica who was in the living room, "Thanks Jessica. I'll call and update you"_

_Hotch shut the door behind him before following the boys down the steps and climbing into the SUV. Jack, Ethan, and Henry all sat in the back, while Declan took the front. As Hotch drove to the hospital he glanced at Declan who was tapping his foot on the floorboard and looking nervously out the window. Hotch then glanced in the rearview mirror and saw Ethan chewing on his bottom lip, in the same nervous way Emily would._

'_These kids are so much like them' Hotch thought to himself as he turned his attention back to the road._

_When they finally got to the hospital Hotch led the way down the hallway, Declan right on his heels, while Jack and Ethan tried to hold onto Henry's hand, practically dragging the seven year old with them as they attempted to keep up with Hotch and Declan. They finally made it to the elevators, squeezing in with a few other people. The elevator eventually stopped on the fourth floor and Hotch stepped out first, followed by Ethan, Jack, and Henry, this time Declan bringing up the rear, slowing his pace for a reason._

_Hotch led them down one hall and around a corner before finally opening a door to a room. As Declan got closer he saw that it was a waiting room, but he waited outside, while the others went in._

_As soon as Hotch opened the door, Emily was up out of her seat and heading for the boys. She outstretched her arms, allowing all three, including Jack, to enter her embrace. Henry wrapped his arms tightly around Emily's waist, while Jack and Ethan practically buried their heads in Emily's chest, both ten year olds fighting back the tears that wanted so badly to fall._

"_Hey guys" she said, still remaining strong_

_Hotch looked over them to Morgan who was sitting in a chair next to Reid and asked the silent question of whether Emily had broken down yet, to which of course Morgan shook his head no._

_As Emily pulled away she looked at all three boys. She could see the fear in both Jack and Ethan's eyes so she knew Hotch had told them the truth. But when she looked at Henry all she saw was that childhood innocence. She bent down and kissed Ethan on the cheek before doing the same to Jack. As she looked back down at Henry, he was smiling up at her with his stuffed lion in outstretched arms towards her._

"_I brought Rory in case you were sad. He always makes me feel better" he said as he looked up at Emily_

_Emily's eyes softened at the seven year old's words and actions. She knelt down so that she was eye level with his light brown eyes._

"_Why don't you hold onto him for now, would you do that for me?" she asked with a smile_

_Henry smiled and nodded before throwing his arms around Emily's neck and hugging her tightly, "D said it would make you feel better if I gave you a great big hug"_

_Emily returned the hug as she held the seven year old tightly, before releasing him and giving him a kiss on the lips, "I do feel better Henry, thank you"_

_Emily then stood back up and looked around not spotting who she was looking for. She turned and made eye contact with Ethan who just shrugged his shoulders._

"_Henry why don't you go pass out some of those hugs to your aunts and uncles" she said as she looked down at the sandy haired boy_

"_Okay" he replied turning to head to his Aunt Penelope first_

_Emily then turned and walked out of the waiting room. As she looked down the hall she spotted Declan leaning against the wall. She started walking towards him slowly, trying to read the fifteen year olds expression. _

_When she finally reached him she moved to stand in front of him. She looked down at him, not as far down as she used to, because he was in the middle of a growth spurt, but he was still shorter than her at this time. _

"_Declan" she said, trying to get him to look at her_

_Slowly his head tilted up and his usually bright blue eyes were full of sorrow. As Emily looked at him she began to smile, which made Declan tilt his head to the side in question._

"_What?" he asked_

_She shook her head, "Nothing"_

"_It's gotta be something. Hotch was looking at me weird earlier also" the teenager stated_

"_Was he?" Emily questioned, figuring that she and her boss had been thinking the same thing_

_Declan nodded, "Yeah but whatever"_

_He pushed himself away from the wall and attempted to walk away, but Emily grabbed him by the arm, "Dec wait"_

"_What?" he said impatiently, in that, only, teenage way_

"_Where are you going?" she asked_

"_I don't know" he answered as he raised his voice slightly_

"_Dec, please don't do this. Not now" Emily practically begged_

_Declan looked into his mother's eyes and he could slowly see the pain and sorrow starting to show in her brown orbs. He sighed as he moved to lean against the wall again. He looked down at the floor before lifting his head to look at Emily again._

"_I'm scared mom" he confessed as he continued to look at her_

_Emily sighed and nodded as she moved in front of him. Then she grabbed him by the shoulders and pulled him towards her. She wrapped her arms tightly around his shoulders as his arms slowly wrapped around her waist. He bent slightly to let his forehead rest on her shoulder._

"_I love you Declan. So much."_

"_I love you too mom" he responded_

"_It's going to be okay. JJ is a strong person. She won't give up without a fight" she told the teenager_

_Declan nodded slightly into her shoulder, "I know"_

_As Emily slowly pulled away and looked into her son's blue eyes she spoke again, "You want to know what I was thinking while ago, when you asked me"_

_Declan nodded as he wiped a stray tear away from his eye. Emily smiled before she relayed to him what she had thought when she looked at him._

"_When I saw you with your blue beanie and matching sweatshirt, I was thinking how that color makes your eyes stand out so much more…like JJ's. You both have the most beautiful eyes. And your eyes are so similar, sometimes it's hard for me to forget that she's not your real mother" Emily told Declan with a smile_

"_Really?" he asked, listening intently to what his mother was telling him_

_Emily nodded as she continued, "Yes, and both of your eyes can say so much. I can tell so much when I look at one of you, just by looking into your eyes. "_

_Declan began to smile as Emily kept talking. Emily noticed and smiled also before continuing._

"_And with your blonde hair" she said as she reached up and touched some of the hair that was curling out from under the beanie he was still wearing._

"_You do look like her. You even have some of her mannerisms. I'm sure you've picked up some of mine too, but I notice the ones that resemble JJ. Like when you pinch the bridge of your nose when something frustrates you. Or how you cross your arms when you're angry but you don't want to start a fight."_

_Declan continued to stare at Emily as she spoke, "You fit into this family so well Declan and I know how upset and scared you are right now. And I know how badly you want to cry and that's okay. There's nothing wrong with that. Your mom is in surgery right now, you have every right to express your feelings."_

_Declan's face immediately fell as he heard Emily tell him it was okay. He finally couldn't control the tears anymore, especially after hearing Emily compare the similarities between him and JJ._

"_But I don't want to scare the little ones" Declan admitted as a few tears began to fall_

"_Baby, it's okay, just let it out" she told him as she pulled him into her again_

_As soon as his head hit her shoulder he began to let the tears stream down his face. Emily rubbed his back and held him as he continued to cry into her shoulder. As he cried Emily pulled his beanie off of his head and ran her fingers through his thick blonde hair. After he had finally cried it out as much as he could he slowly pulled himself away from Emily, but not before she planted a kiss on his cheek. Then she wiped a few stray tears off of his cheeks before he rubbed his eyes with his hands. He then shrugged off his leather jacket before stuffing his beanie into the pocket of his jacket. He looked back up at Emily and smiled half way._

"_Thanks" he said softly_

"_Always" she answered as she wrapped her arm around his shoulders_

_He leaned into her slightly as they walked the few feet back down the hall to where he had left his backpack on the floor. When he got to it, Emily dropped her arm from his shoulders. He bent down to pick up his backpack and began to unzip it._

"_I didn't know how long we would be here. And I figured you would refuse to go home so" Declan said as he pulled out a pair of Emily's jeans and a clean shirt_

_As Emily looked at the clothes and then back to her teenage son she couldn't help but smile, "Thanks D"_

_He nodded before he stuck them back in his backpack knowing that she didn't need them right now. But she stopped him, reaching for the shirt._

"_Maybe I'll go ahead and put this on, so I can give Hotch his shirt back" she told him with a smile_

_Declan nodded as Emily took the long sleeve red sweater. Then Emily looked back at the bag before looking at her son._

"_What else do you have in there?" she asked as she turned to walk towards the bathroom at the end of the hall._

"_A video game to keep Henry entertained, some comic books for Ethan, and my ipod" he answered_

_Emily turned around to look at him as she reached the bathroom, "Have I told you lately what an amazing kid you are"_

_Declan shook his head._

"_Well you are an amazing young man Declan Michael Prentiss and I am proud to call you my son" Emily told him sincerely, which earned her a small smile from the teenager_

_Emily then turned and walked into the restroom, changing quickly from Hotch's shirt to the red sweater that Declan had brought her. Then she headed out of the bathroom, back into the hallway where Declan was still waiting. She fell into step beside him as she carried Hotch's shirt in her right hand. Declan had the backpack slung over his left shoulder and was carrying his jacket in his left hand also. As they walked side by side Emily felt Declan take her left hand in his right. She accepted as they finally arrived outside the waiting room door. Before Declan dropped her hand he squeezed it tightly. She couldn't bear to look at him, afraid she would break down right then and there. So she just opened the door walking into the room, where the rest of the team was. Declan headed over to the open seat next to Morgan and Emily watched as Morgan ruffled the teenagers hair playfully._

_Emily handed Hotch's shirt back to him, "Thanks"_

"_I need to talk to you outside for a minute" Hotch told her as he held his arm out and motioned towards the door._

_Emily looked at him funny but followed her boss out of the waiting room and into the hallway._

"_What is it Hotch?" _

"_I talked to JJ's parents and they are taking the first flight out in the morning" Hotch said relaying what the older couple had told them_

_Emily's jaw dropped open and for a moment she was speechless, before she finally found some words, "But they…JJ…she told them she didn't want to see them again unless they could accept who she was"_

_Hotch nodded, "I know Emily"_

"_I can't deal with them and the kids at the same time" Emily said as she began to pace the hallway, "The last time they were here the boys overheard some of the things her parents said…to me…about me."_

"_Emily" Hotch said catching the brunette's attention, "Listen to me. Rossi and I will find a hotel for them and we will speak with them when they get here."_

_Emily nodded and let out a sigh, "I know they deserve to be here…I do…It's just going to be hard"_

_Hotch nodded as he placed a comforting hand on the brunette's shoulder, "We will all be here with you"_

A/N: Sorry I had to split this chapter up because it ended up way too long! I'll try to have the other chapter up tomorrow, the following day at the latest.


	6. Chapter 5 PART 2

A/N: I apologize again for splitting the chapters up, I hate doing that. But anyways here's the rest and I hope you guys enjoy! Don't forget to let me know what you think.

_Ch 5- Part 2_

_With that Hotch guided Emily back into the waiting room and he walked over to sit down next Reid. Emily looked around the room, thankful it was still just their little family in there. She looked at Henry who was sitting on the floor at Rossi's feet, looking up at the older man, apparently telling a story. Then she looked over at Ethan and Jack who were sitting side by side in a couple of chairs beside Reid. She walked over to them and sat down next to Ethan. He looked up at her and smiled to the best of his ability and Emily's heart nearly broke again. Here was her ten year old son trying to be strong for her. She reached over and took his hand in hers as she rubbed her thumb across the top of his hand._

"_You okay little man?" she asked as she looked at him_

_He nodded._

_Emily continued to look at him before she said, "E it's okay to be sad…and scared. Your mom is hurt."_

_Ethan was staring at the floor so Emily released his hand and brought it up to his chin, raising it so that she could look into dark eyes that matched her own. She could see the sadness in them, but he was fighting it. She also knew he wasn't ready to express his feeling yet so she let him be. She reached around him with her right arm and pulled him against her the best that she could. He leaned into her and she felt him relax a little bit. She then kissed the top of his head as they all continued to sit around and wait for the doctor._

_It seemed like it had been hours, when in reality it had only been about two and a half since the kids had arrived at the hospital. Emily looked around and Ethan was asleep on her shoulder, Jack asleep on Reid's shoulder, while Reid was slouched in his own chair, asleep. Emily looked to her left and saw Garcia asleep on one of Morgan's shoulders, while Declan occupied his other shoulder, Morgan however was wide awake. Then she turned to look behind her and saw Rossi awake with a sleeping Henry in his lap. Hotch was also awake and had moved to sit next to Rossi. _

_Emily sighed as she carefully maneuvered out from under Ethan, leaning him back in the chair. She stood up and stretched before she began pacing around the room. Morgan watched her, knowing she was growing restless and that it was only a matter of time until she either snapped at someone or broke down crying, but at this point he didn't know which would come first. He had a feeling that if a doctor didn't come soon with an update that she would definitely go into 'bitch' mode._

_Not fifteen minutes later a doctor opened the waiting room door and stepped inside._

"_Jennifer Jareau?" he questioned_

_Emily was by his side in a second, "That's us"_

_The doctor looked around the room at all of the faces and then back to Emily, "Are you immediate family?"_

"_I'm her wife" she answered with a raised voice_

"_Can I speak with you in private?" he asked as he began to open the door_

"_No, what you have to say to me you can say to them. They are family also" she told the doctor_

_By this time everyone was awake, including all of the children. Morgan was standing beside Emily, as was Reid. Garcia was still sitting, in case the news was bad._

_The doctor finally nodded, agreeing to deliver the news to everyone, "Agent Jareau suffered from a wound to the head. Now she was lucky in the fact that the bullet did not enter the brain. However it struck deep enough to fracture and bruise the skull. We had to go in and stop the bleeding, but her brain is swelling, which is normal given the circumstances. With that said, we are still draining blood from the brain, so we put a shunt in to help. Now, the bad news is that she is in a medically induced coma due to the stress her brain is going through right now. The next forty eight hours are critical. If she makes it through the next two days that is a good sign, however with the trauma she has been through, even if she does make it we will not know how severe her injuries may be."_

"_What do you mean by that?" Morgan asked_

"_Well there's a chance that if she wakes up that she could suffer from memory loss or any type of brain injury which could result in her not knowing who you all are or even how to speak or eat for herself. But those are some extreme examples. Like I said, we won't know any of the repercussions until she wakes up." _

_Everyone in the room nodded before Emily spoke up, "Can I see her?"_

_The doctor thought a moment as he looked around the room. He then looked back at Emily and sighed._

"_She's in critical condition in the intensive care unit. You can see her but only two at a time. Like I said she is in a medically induced coma and will be for the next forty eight hours. When you see her, her head will be bandaged all the way around and there will be a tube sticking out of the left side of her head. That is to help with the draining. She will also have a lot of bruising on that side of her face, which is normal."_

_Emily and the rest of the team nodded._

"_I just want you to be forewarned with what you will see. And nobody under the age of twelve is allowed back there" the doctor finished as he noticed the younger children in the room_

_Emily nodded in understanding._

"_Okay if you want to see her now, you can follow me" the doctor said as he turned to exit the waiting room._

_Emily began to follow him but turned around to see if anyone was going to come with her. She looked at Morgan and their eyes connected. He nodded as he followed her out the door. They followed the doctor around the corner and down a hall that led to a set of double doors marked ICU. He then led them by the nurse's station and around another corner where he pointed to a room. Morgan looked through the glass into the room and could see JJ laying in bed, hooked up to all kinds of machines._

"_She has her own personal nurse who is monitoring her from the desk and she is checked on physically every thirty minutes by the same nurse" the doctor told them before turning and walking away_

_Emily took a deep breath as she stepped inside the room, followed by Morgan. She walked up to JJ and took her hand in her own. Emily was doing everything in her power to control her emotions by this point._

"_Hey babe" Emily said softly as she stroked the blonde's hand, "It's me…and Morgan"_

_With Morgan's presence announced he spoke up, "Hey blondie"_

_Emily smiled at his nickname for JJ. She spoke a little more to her before she bent down and kissed JJ on the cheek. She knew the others wanted to come in._

"_I'll be back in a little bit. I don't want to talk your ears off before Garcia gets in here" Emily said trying to keep the atmosphere light_

_Morgan guided her out of the room and back out of the ICU. As they got to the hallway where the waiting room was Emily stopped and leaned against the wall._

"_Prentiss" Morgan said as he stood in front of her_

"_I'm okay. I just need a minute. Go send the others in" she told him as she looked up at him_

"_Emily"_

"_I'm fine Morgan, just go" she told him sternly_

_He sighed, knowing he wasn't doing any good. He turned and headed the rest of the way down the hallway and went inside the waiting room. Emily stepped around another corner when she saw Reid and Garcia come out of the waiting room. When she saw them round the corner towards the ICU she went back around the corner. She walked down to the waiting room and stood just outside. Looking in she saw Jack and Ethan sitting quietly as they looked at some of the comic books that Declan had brought. She saw Declan sitting next to Morgan listening to his ipod. As her eyes found Henry she saw the little boy standing in front of Rossi. As he turned around to look for something, her heart broke. She saw so much of JJ in that boy. His smile and his nose. As Emily began to think about those things the events from the day finally caught up with her. She had the image of JJ getting shot replaying in her head and then seeing her laying in that bed with blood draining from her brain. And the doctor's words were on repeat in her head._

_Finally she burst out into tears. Turning her back to the waiting room she slid down the wall, hitting the floor harder than she anticipated. She left her feet stretched out in front of her as she cupped her face in her hands, continuing to cry. She heard the waiting room door slam shut but wasn't expecting the person who ended up beside her. She felt a small hand on her shoulder._

"_Mama" Henry said looking at her_

_Emily let her hands fall from her face as she saw the seven year old standing beside her. Then he knelt down beside her, his hand still on her shoulder._

"_Oh Henry" Emily said as she looked through teary eyes at the little boy_

_Emily then held her arms out to Henry who entered them willingly. She pulled the boy onto her lap, cradling him against her chest. She let the tears continue to fall, but not as much as they had been before Henry approached her. The little boy finally spoke up, voicing his fear._

"_Is mama gonna die? Is that why you're crying?" he asked as he leaned against Emily's chest_

_Emily tensed as soon as Henry asked that question. How was she supposed to explain to a seven year old that she did not know what would happen to his mother. She didn't want to lie to him, she and JJ always tried to be as honest as possible with their children. She took a deep breath as she pulled Henry away from her slightly so that she could look into his light brown eyes._

"_Sweetie your mom is hurt pretty bad. But I can't answer that question, because I don't know. I am crying because I'm sad mommy is hurt and I can't help her" Emily told her son_

_Henry nodded as he continued to look at Emily, "What happened to mommy?"_

_Emily kept her eyes locked on Henry, even as he asked that question, "She was shot with a gun and she hurt her head"_

_Henry looked down at the ground before looking back up at Emily, "I'm scared mama"_

"_It's okay to be scared H" Emily told him as she leaned down to kiss him on the forehead_

_When she looked back in his eyes she could see them filling up with tears, "What if mommy dies?"_

_As soon as he got the question out, the waterworks began. Emily pulled him into her chest, wrapping her arms tightly around him, and began rocking him side to side as she let her chin rest on the top of his head._

"_Oh baby, shhh, it's okay" she whispered softly as she continued to rock him_

_Emily held and rocked Henry as she sat on the cold hospital floor, holding him tightly against her chest and whispering, "I love you so much baby boy"_

_Henry eventually cried himself to sleep in Emily's arms. Even once Emily realized he had fallen asleep in her arms she didn't move. She continued to sit on the cold floor cradling him in her lap. She had stopped crying and was now thinking, as she held Henry, about everything she and JJ had been through. She looked back down at the sandy blonde haired boy in her lap. As she observed his features she looked for the physical similarities between Henry and JJ. Her eyes scanned the little boy's face and she found herself smiling at the rounded nose and thin lips that matched JJ's. Then she ran her fingers through his sandy blonde hair, marveling at how much it felt like JJ's._

_As she was staring down at Henry, Reid and Garcia finally came back around the corner. As soon as Garcia saw Emily on the floor with Henry, she hustled towards the brunette and knelt down beside her._

"_Emily?" Garcia questioned as she looked at the brunette agent_

"_It's okay Garcia. Henry was just upset about JJ and he fell asleep" Emily said as she slowly looked up to meet Garcia's eyes_

_Garcia shook her head, "Emily it's not okay. You're not okay"_

"_Garcia I'm fine, okay. Everything's going to be fine" Emily snapped as she shifted Henry so that she could stand up_

_Garcia stood up along with Emily, watching as the older woman shifted Henry so that his head was resting on her shoulder. Emily closed her eyes and sighed._

"_I'm sorry. It's just-" Emily began_

"_It's okay Emily" Garcia told her as she rubbed the brunettes back softly_

_Emily nodded, "It's not…but thank you"_

_Garcia nodded as they all walked towards the waiting room. Reid opened the door and held it for Emily and Garcia before walking inside the room himself. Rossi and Hotch watched Emily carefully as she walked back into the room carrying Henry. They waited until Emily sat down next to Ethan, keeping Henry in her lap, but turning him sideways so that he could lean his head into her chest. Rossi then turned to Morgan and Morgan nodded his head, silently telling Rossi he would keep an eye on the brunette while Hotch and he went to see JJ. Only then did the two men get up and head out of the waiting room._

_When they returned to the waiting room some twenty minutes later Declan had moved to sit next to Emily. He was listening to his ipod and staring into space. Ethan was on the other side of Emily and had shifted in his seat so that he could lean into her, his head on her shoulder. Both of Emily's arms were still wrapped around Henry. Jack had moved and was resting his head on Morgan's shoulder. Hotch then finally spoke up._

"_It's pretty late guys. Is anyone hungry?"_

_Mostly everybody shook their heads now causing Rossi to speak up, "Guys everyone in here needs to eat something. So we can either get you something from the cafeteria or we can drive down the street and pick you up something. But you all will eat something"_

_Still nobody answered so Rossi shrugged his shoulders, "Fine I will make the decision. I am going to grab us all some burgers from the place down on the corner"_

_He then received a few nods from some of the people in the room. So he turned to walk out of the waiting room but stopped when he opened the door and turned back around to face the people in the room._

"_I'm guessing you guys don't care what kind of burgers?" he asked_

_Everyone again shook their heads. Rossi nodded as he turned and headed out the door to go get the burgers. He returned about half an hour later with four bags of burgers. Emily gently shook Henry awake so that he could eat. However when Emily tried to ease him off of her lap so that he could eat, he pushed himself backwards so that he landed back on her lap. He refused to leave her lap so Emily allowed him to sit on her lap while he attempted to eat one of the small burgers. Once everyone was finished eating, Hotch looked at Emily._

"_Emily I think we all should go home and get some rest. She's not going to wake up tonight, we all know that. So what we need to do is all go home, get cleaned up, and get some rest" he said as he looked from Emily to everyone else in the room_

"_You can go home Hotch but I'm not leaving her until she wakes up" she said_

"_Emily"_

"_Hotch"_

_Rather than arguing with the stubborn brunette he gave in with a sigh. Then he stood up and looked around at the rest of the team._

"_The rest of you need to go home for the night. You can come back tomorrow after you have cleaned up and rested. There isn't anything you can do for her right now" Hotch told them_

_Nobody moved from their spots until Hotch ordered them to. Finally they started standing up, one by one. Hotch motioned for Jack before he walked over to Emily._

"_Emily do you want me to take the boys home and stay with them so that they can get some rest in their own bed?" he asked her_

_Emily nodded and all three of the boys began to voice their opinions, all refusing to leave, until Emily told them in a very stern voice that there would be no arguments about it, they were to go home with Hotch and they could come back tomorrow. Henry began to cry and refused to let go of Emily, wrapping his arms around her neck tightly. Emily finally pried them loose promising him that he could come back in the morning. As Hotch lifted the crying boy into his arms, the seven year old started to cry even louder and began to kick at his uncle. Emily finally relented, not being able to listen to him cry and throw a fit._

"_Okay H, okay, you can stay with me baby" she said as she took the seven year old from Hotch's arms_

_Henry began to hiccup as he latched back onto Emily. She turned to the other two boys, walking up to them and giving both of them a hug and a kiss._

"_You two go home and get some rest, okay. You can come back first thing in the morning, I promise" she said as she looked from one boy to the other_

"_But that's not fair" Ethan said as she looked up at his mother_

"_E, please, go home and get some rest. For me okay? And give your baby sister a kiss for me. She will probably be happy to see her two big brothers" Emily told them_

"_But" Declan began also_

"_Please" Emily begged_

_Both boys finally relented, too tired to argue anymore since it was now nearly ten o'clock at night. Everyone began to file out one by one telling Emily they would be back in the morning. The only person who didn't leave was Morgan who was standing beside Emily when the last person finally walked out. Emily turned to look at Morgan._

"_Morgan-"_

"_Don't even try it princess. I'm not going anywhere unless you are" he told her sincerely_

_As Emily attempted to open her mouth to say something Derek held up his hand, "Don't even think about telling me that you're fine because I am not that dense Emily Prentiss"_

_Emily sighed, giving in, knowing Morgan could be just as stubborn as she could be. She shifted Henry in her arms, again, as he finally started to settle down, his hiccups starting to fade. Morgan bent down slightly to look at the seven year old who still had his arms wrapped around Emily's neck, his head on her shoulder._

"_He's falling asleep" Morgan said looking back up at Emily_

_Emily nodded, "I figured he would. He probably would have fallen asleep on the way home but I didn't want to take the chance. When he's really upset he works himself up and even though he can be extremely tired he will refuse to go to sleep and then usually he winds up getting sick. The last thing I need right now…or want…is for him to get sick. I figured he would have a better chance of sleeping if he was with me since that's where he wanted to be anyway" _

_Morgan nodded as he guided Emily back to one of the seats. They sat down side by side listening to the silence and Henry's steady breathing as he fell back to sleep in Emily's arms._

"_What did Hotch need to tell you this afternoon?" Morgan finally asked_

"_Huh?" Emily questioned as she turned to her friend with a confused look_

"_This afternoon after you handed Hotch his shirt back he pulled you into the hallway"_

"_Oh" Emily replied as she turned away from Morgan and looked down at Henry, taking her hand and running her fingers through the blonde hair._

"_Em?"_

"_JJ's parents are flying here first thing in the morning" she finally answered still looking down at Henry_

_Morgan closed his eyes and pressed his lips together, knowing that the Jareau's did not approve of Emily and JJ's relationship. He knew that the couple blamed Emily for the demise of JJ and Will's relationship, as well as for the now non-existent relationship between Henry and his father. But what really ticked Morgan off was the words the Jareau's had used to describe Emily, even in her presence. Couple that with the fact that the boys had overheard that three years ago and he was not a very happy person._

_When Morgan didn't say anything Emily spoke up again, "I know that they deserve to be here-"_

"_Do they Emily? They were horrible to you the last time you saw them" Morgan said trying to keep his anger under control_

"_That was three years ago Derek. Maybe they've changed" Emily said as she placed a kiss to the top of Henry's head_

"_Well for their benefit I sure hope so, because as long as I'm around I won't put up with them treating you badly"_

_Emily smiled faintly at Morgan's over protectiveness, but she couldn't bring herself to get upset with him this time, because she didn't have any fight left in her and she knew it was probably best if he was beside her the entire time that JJ's parents were around. She always felt responsible for the rift in the relationship between JJ and her parents, but JJ had always assured her that the rift had been there since she went away to college and had slowly grown more pronounced over the years. Her parents weren't happy with the fact that JJ had refused to marry Will when she found out she was pregnant. And once everything with Emily hit the fan she had finally had enough and cut her ties with them all together. And she assured Emily that she was most definitely not the sole cause._

_It still bothered Emily because their children had no biological grandparents. Emily's mother had pretty much disowned her as well when Emily told her about her relationship with JJ. But for Emily it was different because she had never had a good relationship with her parents, so being disowned didn't seem to bother her all that much because she had been on her own for so long already. Luckily Rossi had stepped into the grandfather role and had embraced it endearingly much to everyone's shock and amusement._

_Around 1am a nurse stopped by the waiting room and found Morgan and Emily there. She approached them both, recognizing them from earlier._

"_You are the two agents who work with Ms. Jareau, right?" she asked stepping up to them_

_Emily immediately tensed, thinking something was wrong, "Yes why what's wrong?"_

_The nurse held up her hands, "Oh nothing honey, I was just going to tell you that you should go home and get some rest. There is a nurse in her room with her right now and she will be in there with her all night. You both should sleep in your own bed and get some rest. You can come back in the morning and I can guarantee that she will be fine."_

"_How can you guarantee that?" asked Emily as she studied the nurse_

"_Technically I'm not supposed to, but Dr Garrett is the best doctor in this hospital. Trust me I see people run themselves ragged waiting around the hospital, but it's just as important for the family to get rest as it is for the patient." the nurse answered_

"_Thank you" Morgan said with a nod _

_The nurse smiled and nodded in return before turning and walking out of the waiting room. Emily then turned to Morgan, knowing he was staring at her._

"_I know Derek, but I just don't want to leave her" Emily said, knowing what he was thinking_

"_I know you don't princess, but she has a nurse in the room with her. And if anything changes you are the first person who will be called" he told her as he draped his arm across the back of her chair, turning his body so that he could look at Emily better, "Besides you do need your rest and Henry should sleep in his own bed"_

_Emily was silent as she looked down at the sleeping seven year old in her arms. She brushed through some of his bangs before turning to look at Morgan._

"_Okay" Emily said in a defeated tone_

_Morgan nodded as he stood up before bending down and taking Henry from Emily's arms._

"_Morgan" she began as her friend lifted the boy from her lap_

"_Shhh, you need a break Em, you've been holding him practically all night. Come on" he said as shifted Henry to his right arm and held his left out to Emily._

_Emily took his hand as he helped her up out of the chair. They then walked to the door and Emily held it open as Morgan walked through it first, a sleeping Henry in his arms. They made it down to the parking lot before they both realized they didn't have a car. They had all shown up at the hospital in bureau vehicles. As Morgan began to look for a taxi, he saw one of the bureau vehicles in the parking lot._

"_Hey Emily, they left us a vehicle" he said turning to look for her_

_She turned to where he pointed and she spotted the black suburban in the parking lot. She nodded before turning and following him to the SUV. Once there both adults began looking for the keys. Emily then stood on the side of the SUV and found the keys taped to the roof. She pulled them off before unlocking the doors. She then opened the back door and watched as Morgan placed Henry carefully onto the seat, before pulling his seatbelt around him. Emily moved the shoulder strap so that it was tucked behind him, instead of choking him. He was still small for a seven year old and was supposed to have a booster seat, but they had to work with what they got. Emily then walked around to the passenger side and climbed in while Morgan climbed into the driver's seat and started the car._

_Morgan glanced at Emily every once and awhile as he drove towards her house, but she just stared out her side window, taking a moment every now and then to glance at her son in the back seat. As he finally pulled into the driveway he eased up beside Hotch's vehicle. He cut off the engine before he and Emily climbed out. He then opened the back door and unbuckled Henry, who was still sound asleep. He lifted the small boy out of the back seat and into his arms. Emily then shut the door quietly before following Morgan up her front steps. She pulled out her house key and unlocked the front door before swinging it open so that they could walk through._

_Emily saw Hotch awake on the couch and he got up to walk over to them._

"_Decided to come home and get some rest" he stated rather than asked_

_Emily and Morgan nodded._

"_I figured you would. I'll grab Jack and we will get out your way" he said as he turned_

"_Hotch you don't have too. You can stay here if you want" Emily told him_

_But Hotch shook his head, "No that's okay. But we will see you in the morning, okay"_

_Emily nodded as she watched Hotch wake his son who was sleeping on one of the couches before waking Jessica from the other couch. Emily watched as Jack sat up sleepily and looked at his dad. Hotch then bent down and scooped his ten year old up into his arms, the boy not even fighting it. Emily closed and locked the door behind him and Jessica before turning around and seeing Morgan walk up the stairs with Henry. _

_Emily followed them upstairs and into Henry and Ethan's room. As she walked in she saw Ethan asleep on top of his covers, his clothes from that day still on. Emily shook her head at her son as she grabbed the blanket that was bunched up on one side of him and pulled it over him. Then she looked back down at Henry who Morgan had carefully laid on the bottom bunk before pulling the covers up over him. Morgan then handed the boy's jacket to Emily who draped it over the desk chair in the bedroom. Then she bent down and kissed Henry on the cheek._

_As they walked out of the bedroom Morgan turned to Emily, "I'm going to sleep on the couch"_

"_Morgan I'm fine, really" she told him _

"_I'm still sleeping on the couch. Besides it's almost 230am, I'm tired" he replied_

_Emily nodded as she walked towards the hall closet to grab some sheets, but Morgan beat her to it._

"_I got it princess. You go get some rest, okay" he told her_

_Emily locked eyes with him, and he could see that she was exhausted and trying everything in her power to fight it. She finally nodded, turning to walk back over to Declan's room to check on him. Morgan watched her as she opened the teenager's bedroom door before closing it quietly. As she walked back towards him, he turned and began to head down the stairs. Emily then checked in on Penny, who was sleeping peacefully in her crib in her room._

_Emily slowly walked into her bedroom. As she stood and looked around her and JJ's bedroom she noticed some of JJ's clothes strewn across the floor and the bed. Emily closed her eyes tightly, fighting back the tears. She took a deep breath before opening her eyes and walking into their bathroom. She was planning on changing into her pajamas but was caught off guard when she walked into the bathroom and saw the bathroom mirror. On Emily's side of the mirror, written in lipstick with JJ's handwriting, it said ' I love ya babe.' Emily fought back the tears as she stared at the mirror wondering when JJ had written that. They had all been running late that morning and decided to all pile into Emily's SUV to drop the kids off at school and to get to work. _

_That's when Emily lost it. She threw her hands across the long counter, knocking everything off onto the ground. Then she turned and punched the cabinet, making it crack and yelping in pain as she hit it again. She began letting the tears stream down her face as she grabbed whatever was within her reach to throw to the ground. A few seconds later strong arms wrapped around her from behind. She struggled to get free from the grasp but she heard Morgan whispering in her ear._

"_It's okay baby. Shhh, it's okay" Morgan continued to whisper_

_Emily finally stopped struggling against him, as she leaned back against him and slowly slid to the floor, Morgan going with her, as he carefully lowered them both to the ground. As Emily cradled her hand to her chest, Morgan held her._

"_Mom"_

_Morgan turned to see Declan and Ethan both standing in the bathroom doorway, their eyes wide in terror._

"_It's okay boys, just go back to bed" Morgan told them softly_

"_But" Declan began_

"_D she's going to be okay, I promise. I'm going to stay right here with her, you guys just go get some sleep, okay" he told them again_

_Both boys stood there for a minute before slowly turning, looking at their mother one last time before heading back to their bedrooms._

_Morgan continued to hold and rock Emily as she cried into his chest. When she finally began to settle down he took that opportunity to take her right hand in both of his so that he could inspect the damage._

_He could see that her knuckles were swollen and she had some cuts from the splintering wood._

"_Emily I'm going to help you get to bed and then I'm going to go downstairs to get you some ice, okay" he said as he helped her stand up_

_She nodded, but didn't say anything, which scared him. She hadn't said a lot the last few hours and that wasn't normal. He tried to ignore it as he guided her to her bed. Pulling back the covers on her side he helped her lay down and get her boots off before he pulled the covers back over her. He took one last look at her before heading out of the room. Quickly descending the stairs and heading into the kitchen he put some ice into a bag and wrapped it into a light cloth before running back up the stairs, finding Emily curled onto her right side, gripping what he guessed was one of JJ's shirts in her left hand. _

_Morgan sat down beside her and leaned over her, "Em, here, put this on your hand"_

_Emily eventually took the bag of ice and placed it on top of her right hand. Morgan watched her and she never even winced when the ice connected with her bruised knuckles. Morgan continued to sit beside her, afraid to leave her alone. After about fifteen minutes he finally broke the silence._

"_I know your upset Em, but please talk to me, I know you need to talk to someone. "_

_Emily still didn't respond to him and he sighed._

"_Fine you want me to tell you what I am feeling" he asked her_

_He still did not receive an answer so he began to answer his own question._

"_I'm scared Emily…for JJ…for you…This whole thing isn't fair. It's not fair to you or to the kids and I think the only good thing that came out of this situation is the fact that those brothers are dead. And I know how you are feeling…how you just want to beat the shit out of something. This time you just beat me to it. But please Emily, you have to talk to me, because right now, in this moment, I'm scared for you"_

_After about a minute Emily shifted her position slightly to hand Morgan the bag of ice. Then she continued to keep her back to him but she finally spoke up._

"_I can't lose her Derek. I love her so much"_

_Morgan nodded as he looked at Emily even though she couldn't see him._

"_I know baby girl" he replied_

"_I just…I never, EVER, thought I had a chance with her. The truth is I fell in love with her almost instantly. And I never imagined that we could, or would, ever have what we do have…a family…a home"_

_Morgan heard Emily take a deep breath and he knew she was fighting back tears._

"_And I never allowed anyone to get that close to me, especially knowing how I truly felt about her. And I had never given myself completely to anyone else in any of my relationships…because I didn't want to get hurt…it was easier to not trust people…to keep them at arm's length. But with JJ, it was always…different. There was something about her."_

_Morgan lifted his feet up onto the bed as he shifted beside Emily so that he could lean against the headboard as he listened to her talk about her wife and his friend._

"_I just don't know what I would do without her. She's my…everything." Emily said, whispering the last part_

_Morgan took that opportunity to roll to his right side and slide down the bed enough to get behind Emily. He wrapped his left arm around her waist, pulling her against him. He felt her tense but continued to hold her as his head rested behind hers._

"_Relax Emily and try to get some sleep. I'm right here and I won't let you fall. I know in my heart that JJ is going to be okay. We just have to give her some time to fight" he told her softly_

_Morgan felt Emily slowly start to relax in his embrace, so he allowed his own eyes to close. When he opened them again he was laying on his back, Emily's head resting on his chest as she slept with JJ's shirt clenched tightly in her hand. He turned to look at the clock and saw that it was nearly 6:30am. He knew she would want to go back to the hospital as soon as she could and he knew she needed to eat. Despite Rossi buying those burgers the night before he knew that she hadn't eaten anything. He carefully maneuvered out from under her before walking into the bathroom and surveying the mess. He began picking up broken items on the floor as quietly as he could. Once he was finished there he wandered down stairs and began raiding the fridge._

_Emily woke up with JJ's shirt clenched in her hands. Emily rubbed her nose in it, inhaling the scent of JJ deeply as she closed her eyes._

'_You have to be alright baby. I can't do this alone' Emily thought to herself_

_As she rolled to her back her senses began to pick up on other smells as well. Bacon, eggs, coffee….Morgan, she thought. She forced herself out of bed, despite being tired. She knew the faster she got up the sooner she could get back to the hospital and see JJ. She walked into the bathroom and noticed that the mess she had created the night before was almost nonexistent. She thought maybe it had been a dream until she felt the ache in her hand and turned to see the cabinet splintered and broken. She knew in that moment that Morgan had cleaned up the mess she had made._

_As she made it downstairs she heard the echo of laughter that was purely Henry. She smiled as she walked into the kitchen, wanting to be as brave as possible for her kids. She saw Declan and Ethan sitting on the counter watching Morgan and Henry as they made a mess in the kitchen. Penny was perched on Declan's lap with a smile on her face._

"_What kind of trouble are you boys getting into this morning?" she asked with a smile, catching everyone's attention._

"_Hi Mama Em, Uncle Derek's teaching me how to cook" Henry answered with a smile_

"_I'm not so sure that is such a good idea" Emily replied as she entered the kitchen_

_Henry rolled his eyes in typical JJ fashion and Emily's heart melted, "He said he was a professional" _

_Emily laughed lightly, "A professional cooking failure maybe"_

"_Ouch princess, that hurt" Morgan said as he sank to his knees, his hand over his heart_

_This time Emily rolled her eyes before turning to Ethan and Declan and giving them reassuring smiles. They smiled back, but she could tell it was forced._

_Morgan stood back up before turning and grabbing some food off of the stove._

"_Okay guys let's eat some breakfast" he said as he walked towards the table_

"_I'm not hungry" Ethan stated_

"_Me either" Declan added_

_Emily looked at both boys before saying, "You guys need to eat. It's not going to do anyone any good if you two starve yourselves"_

_The two boys stared at their mother who sat down and started scooping eggs onto her plate, knowing they were watching her. She added two slices of bacon to her plate, before getting up to pour herself some coffee. When she returned Declan and Ethan were both loading their plates with food. Henry sat beside her swinging his feet as he ate his food. Emily's eyes met Morgan's, across the table from her, and she mouthed 'thank you,' to which he just nodded._

_Emily ate only a few bites, but pushed her food around to make it look like she had eaten more than she actually did. As she looked at Ethan she could see he was doing the same thing but she figured his was more unconscious than hers._

_The kids slowly started piling their dishes in the sink and Emily told them that if any of them wanted to go back to the hospital they needed to be ready to go in one hour. All three boys headed upstairs to start getting ready. As she turned around Morgan was staring at her._

"_Thanks for cleaning up my mess Derek. You didn't have to do that" she said_

"_I know" he answered_

"_Let me help with the dishes" she said as she walked towards the sink_

"_I've got it Emily. You go take a shower and get ready, okay" he told her_

"_Morgan"_

"_Emily don't make me put you in that shower, because you know I will" he told her_

"_Okay, let me just get Penny ready first" she said turning to head towards the toddler_

"_Emily I've got it, okay. Will you please go get ready" he said as he scooped the blonde toddler up before Emily had the chance_

"_Morgan" she said a little more forcefully_

_He just stared at her so she threw her hands up and turned to head upstairs. Once she finally showered, she opted for a pair of jeans a loose black sweater, knowing she would be at the hospital all day and wanting to be comfortable. When she walked out of her bedroom she stopped at her daughter's room and saw Derek just finishing up with her. He spotted her in the doorway and smiled before turning the toddler around to face Emily, silently asking for her approval in the attire he had picked. Emily walked into the room and smiled as Penny held her arms out to Emily. She scooped the girl up and kissed her on the cheek._

"_Well don't you look pretty my little munchkin" Emily said to her daughter as she surveyed the overall's accompanied with the yellow long sleeve shirt. Her blonde hair was pulled into two short pig tails with matching yellow ribbon. And she had pink converse high tops on that matched the pink heart in the middle of her overalls._

"_Well since you're satisfied with your daughter's appearance, would be okay if I took a quick shower?" Morgan asked_

"_Of course Morgan" she answered, watching him nod before walking out of the room and entering the bathroom next to Penny's._

_Emily then walked out of Penny's room and walked down the hallway, stopping outside the younger boy's room. She knocked on the door before she heard a voice allowing her to come in. As she opened the door she saw both Henry and Ethan sitting on the floor putting their shoes on. She walked in and sat down in the desk chair, shifting Penny so that she was sitting on her lap. She took in both Henry and Ethan's damp hair, noting that they had indeed taken a shower. As Ethan stood up she smiled at his attire. He was wearing black jeans which were rolled up once on the bottom with a black and white checkered long sleeve button up shirt that was almost too small for him. She looked at his shoes and saw that he was wearing his red, black, and white Nike high top skater shoes again. She watched as he pulled his black blazer out of his closet and pulled it on. She couldn't help but marvel at how sharp he looked, coupled with the fact that he was only ten years old. She continued to watch him as he grabbed his black beanie and his black leather jacket before turning around and noticing his mother staring at him._

"_What?" he asked as he looked down at his clothes before looking back at her_

"_Nothing. I was just noticing how well you dress" she answered truthfully_

"_What about me Mama Em?" Henry questioned as he hopped up off of the floor_

_She smiled as he stood in front of her with his arms straight out to his sides. He was wearing a pair of dark blue jeans which were also rolled one time at the bottom and a long sleeve red shirt with a skateboarding logo on it, while his feet sported his navy blue converse shoes. He grabbed his leather jacket off of his bed, along with his blue beanie before putting both on and turning back to Emily to look at her, a smile on his face._

"_You look very handsome H" she said with a smile, "Have I told you two how much I love you?"_

"_Not today" Ethan answered as he stood behind his little brother_

"_Well I love you guys so much" she said sincerely_

"_I love you too Mama" Henry replied as he walked up and wrapped his arms around Emily's neck carefully, so as not to smush his baby sister._

_Emily returned the hug and kissed him on the cheek before he pulled away. But before he stepped completely away he bent down and kissed Penny on the cheek as well. Then Ethan walked up and scooped Penny out of their mother's arms, kissing her on the cheek before placing her on his hip. Emily smiled before standing up and bending down to kiss her ten year old son on the forehead._

"_I'll meet you guys downstairs in ten, okay" she said_

_They both nodded before Ethan asked, "Are we taking Penny today?"_

_Emily shook her head, "No Jessica is going to come watch her again"_

_The ten year old nodded before following Henry out of the room. Emily then a deep breath before heading out of their bedroom and walking across the hall to Declan's room. She knocked on the door before she heard him allow her to enter. She saw him sitting on his bed staring at a picture. She walked in and sat down beside him on the bed. As she did, she saw that he was looking at a picture of JJ, him, and her right after his adoption._

"_You okay D?" she asked, finally breaking the silence_

_He shrugged his shoulders and was quiet for a moment before he answered, "I was just thinking about what you said to me yesterday at the hospital. And I saw this picture and I could remember that day so well. We were all so happy."_

_Emily nodded as she listened to her teenage son speak._

"_I was so happy. I was so worried that I wouldn't get to stay with you. And I was worried when I first met JJ that she might not like me because of everything that happened to you."_

_Emily started to speak up as she wrapped her arm around Declan's shoulders but he continued to talk._

"_But then after I got to know her and realized how much she cared about me, even though she didn't know me, I somehow knew that I could never dislike her. And then when you guys got together I was so afraid that you wouldn't love me as much as Ethan and Henry because I wasn't yours…biologically"_

_He stopped talking and Emily squeezed his shoulders before speaking, "Declan I love you, JJ loves you. We love you so much and in our eyes you are our son, no questions asked"_

_Declan nodded as he rested his head on Emily's shoulder, "I know. And I always knew that you loved me and I always loved you. I guess I just never expected to love JJ as much as I do. And after you said all of that stuff to me yesterday I was looking at this picture and comparing some of our physical similarities. And you were right about our eyes."_

_Emily nodded again and she ran her fingers through her son's thick blonde hair, "She's going to be okay Declan"_

"_You don't know that"_

"_You're right. But it's what I believe. And sometimes if you believe something hard enough it comes true" she replied_

_She felt him nod his head before he said, "I love you mom"_

_Emily smiled before turning her head and kissing the top of his blonde head, "I love you too D"_

_He then raised his head off of her shoulder and placed the picture on his nightstand before standing up and walking over to his desk to grab his black leather jacket and pulling it on over his royal blue polo shirt that had a white long sleeve shirt underneath it. She smiled as he stepped into his royal blue and white skater shoes, his jeans hanging loosely over them before grabbing his blue beanie and sticking it in his back pocket. Then he turned around and walked back over to Emily who was still sitting on the bed._

"_Shall we" he asked as he held out his hand to his mother_

_Emily took his hand and allowed him to help her up off of the bed. They then went downstairs and found that Jessica had already arrived and Ethan was filling her in on Penny's schedule._

"_Jess I really appreciate you doing this" Emily said as she reached the bottom of the stairs_

"_It's no problem Emily. You guys don't worry about anything here okay" she told Emily_

_Emily nodded as she looked at the boys, "Okay let's go. Declan why don't you go start the car so that it can get warm. I'll be there in just a sec"_

_Declan took the keys from his mother and went outside to start the car. Just as he walked outside Morgan came down the stairs in the same clothes from yesterday, but obviously cleaner. He smiled at Jessica before telling her hello._

"_Ready Morgan?" Emily asked as he came up beside her_

"_If you are" he replied as he watched her throw her black leather jacket on_

_Emily then kissed Penny on the cheek and told her that she loved her before turning and ushering the other two boys out the door, followed by Morgan._

_When they made it to the hospital Emily got the boys situated in the waiting room with Morgan before she went back to JJ's room to see her. It took everything in her not to cry when she saw JJ laying there, but Emily controlled herself as she kissed JJ on the cheek and sat down in a chair next to her bed. She took the blonde's hand in her own and began talking to her, telling her about the kids, especially Declan and how much he loved her._

_Emily had just made it back to the waiting room and had sat down next to Henry when JJ's parents opened the door and stepped into the waiting room. Emily immediately tensed and sat up straighter in her chair. Morgan noticed and stood up out of his chair at the same time as Rossi, Hotch, and even Reid. All four men made their way over to the older Jareau's. At the same time Declan got up and walked over to Emily and sat down next to her, keeping an eye on the couple who had just entered the room._

_Hotch was the first to speak, "Mr and Mrs. Jareau if I could please speak to you out in the hall"_

"_I would rather you just tell me now" Mr Jareau spoke up_

"_And I would rather not say what I have to say in front of the children" Hotch replied as he held his hand out towards the door_

_The older couple looked at the four men standing in front of them in a protective line. They knew there was no choice but to submit to their wishes. Mr. Jareau nodded before turning, placing a hand on the small of his wife's back and guiding her out the door followed by all four agents._

"_What are they doing here?" Declan finally asked staring through the glass at the couple who had just been escorted out of the waiting room._

_Emily placed a hand on his thigh, "They're JJ's parents. They deserve to be here"_

"_Why?" Ethan questioned as he joined the conversation, moving to stand in front of his mother, staring into her brown eyes_

"_Ethan, they raised her, and they are just as scared as we are right now" Emily told her son as she removed her hand from Declan's thigh and reached out to take her ten year old son's hand, giving it a light squeeze_

"_Why do they look like someone I know?" Henry asked as he turned his head to look up at his brunette mother_

_Emily forced a small smile as she turned to look at the seven year old, "Their your grandparents sweetie"_

_Henry's eyes grew wide before he replied, "The ones who called you a slutty whore?"_

_Emily's jaw dropped, not realizing that even though he was four when that happened, that he would remember any of it. Emily controlled her anger, realizing that that encounter had obviously stood out in his mind._

"_Sweetie I don't ever want to hear you say those words again. Do you understand me" Emily told the sandy blonde haired boy_

_He nodded before he added, "But they said it to you"_

_Emily nodded as she dropped Ethan's hand and reached over with her right hand to run her fingers through Henry's sandy hair, "I know H, but they were just upset at the time. Sometimes people say things they don't mean when they are angry"_

"_I'm pretty sure they meant everything they said that day" Declan said, putting in his two cents worth_

_Emily dropped her hand from Henry's head and rubbed both of her hands on her thighs as she took a deep breath, "Listen guys, they are here to make sure their daughter is going to be okay. And we are ALL going to be respectful, okay"_

"_What if they aren't nice?" Ethan asked as he turned to peer over his shoulder and through the glass at the two people who had caused so much chaos three years ago_

"_We are going to be nice no matter what, okay" Emily said more forcefully this time_

"_How did JJ turn out so great?" Declan asked_

"_What?" Emily questioned, caught off guard _

"_JJ is so nice and they…aren't" the teenager added_

"_D, I'm pretty sure they were nice people, but sometimes when people don't agree with other's choices, they say and do things they don't mean. And sometimes no matter how much you still love the other person, sometimes it's hard to admit you were wrong" Emily told her blonde teenage son_

_Meanwhile in the hallway Hotch was speaking to the Jareau's._

"_I understand you are worried about your daughter, especially since you haven't spoken to her in three years but-"_

_Hotch was cut off by Mr. Jareau, "How do you know that?"_

_Hotch and the other men just glared at JJ's father, before Hotch spoke up again, "Let me finish and then you can ask questions…Under no circumstance while you are here are you going to say or do anything that demeans Agent Prentiss or her children. You will not be in control of what does or does not happen to your daughter while she is in this hospital. Agent Prentiss is the one who will make all of the medical decisions when and if needed. That being said if you go against anything I just said to you one of us here will escort you both back to the airport where you can fly back home. You were invited here because Emily thought it was only right that JJ's parents be notified about what happened. Do you understand?"_

_The older Jareau's nodded before Mr Jareau looked from one agent to the other, "Do all of you know about what happened three years ago?"_

_This time Morgan spoke up, "Of course we do. We are their family. And you broke their hearts" he said angrily as he pointed behind him into the waiting room._

"_But-" Mrs. Jareau began but this time was cut off by Rossi_

"_There are no buts Mrs. Jareau, we were the ones who had to pick up the pieces. When her own biological family refused to come to their wedding, how do you think that made your daughter feel? I walked that woman in there" Rossi said pointing at Emily, "down the aisle and I did it proudly, because they are both amazing, strong, smart, beautiful women that any father would be proud to call his daughters, and his friends. And I'll have you know that I've always shared a special bond with Emily and if we weren't in the middle of the hospital I would most likely lay a good one on you"_

"_Get in line Rossi" Morgan piped up as he took a step forward_

"_Okay you two, I think they get the point" Hotch said, stepping in between all of them to be the barrier_

_Mrs. Jareau spoke up again, "Look we all make mistakes, and three years ago we made a lot of mistakes"_

"_Katherine" Mr. Jareau said with an edge in his voice_

"_No James, it's true, and if Jenny comes out of this I'm going to do everything I can to make it up to her. I don't want to lose another daughter" Katherine said as she slanted her eyes at her husband_

"_Look at those kids" she replied pointing through the glass, "Look how big they are. We've missed so much" she said sadly_

_Hotch watched James carefully as the older man looked through the glass at the boys who were now protectively surrounding their mother, and Hotch noticed the older man's facial features lighten a little as he stared into the waiting room._

_The older man sighed before asking, "Who walked Jenny down the aisle?"_

"_I'm sorry?" Hotch replied, not sure he heard the man correctly_

"_If Agent Rossi? That's correct right?" James asked as he turned towards the older agent_

_Rossi nodded but didn't say anything._

"_If Agent Rossi walked Agent Prentiss down the aisle, who walked my daughter down the aisle?" James asked as he looked at Hotch_

"_I did" Hotch answered as he looked at JJ's father_

_James nodded, "Katherine is right. We have made a lot of mistakes over the years and we aren't, by any means, the greatest parents. But one of our biggest mistakes was letting Jenny cut herself out of our lives"_

"_She did that because of the way you treated her fiancé" Morgan replied_

"_I know" the older man responded with a nod_

_James moved to stand closer to the waiting room as he peered through the glass and watched Emily interact with the boys. He saw a brunette boy turn and sit down on Emily's lap and watched as the boy said something to her before kissing her on the cheek and then getting up and moving to sit in between a blonde teenager and another dark haired boy who appeared to be the same age as the one who had just sat down._

"_It's just…we didn't agree…and we didn't think it was good for the kids, being raised by two women, with no father around. And when we heard that Will had slowly cut himself off from Henry…anyway we were worried that he would grow up with problems…not to mention JJ told us that they had adopted the son of a killer…then we found out that Emily's son had the same father as the boy they adopted…there was just so much wrong with everything JJ was telling us. I think it was just a lot to take in at once" James said as he continued to stare into the waiting room_

"_Actually scientific studies have shown that children raised by two same-gender parents do as well on average as children raised by two different-gender parents" Reid informed the older man_

_James Jareau turned around, away from the waiting room to face the young man, "Agent Reid, right?"_

"_Yes sir" Reid answered as he rocked back and forth from the ball to the heel of his feet_

"_But they are all boys and they don't have a father figure around" James pointed out_

"_If you look around you right now you will see that, on the contrary, they have four father figures in their life" Morgan replied, then smiled slightly at Rossi, saying, "Well three father figures and one grandfather figure"_

_Rossi glared at Morgan who continued to smile._

_Mr Jareau looked around at the four men, "But it's important for a boy to have an actual father around"_

"_Is it?" Morgan said again, "My father was killed when I was ten and all I had left was my mom and two sisters. I think I turned out okay"_

"_My father left when I was a boy and I was raised by my mother" Reid told the older man_

"_And my father had an affair and left my mother" Hotch added, "The basis of this is that we all turned out fine. But that doesn't mean we aren't there for those boys. They know that we all care about them and that we would do anything for them. It doesn't matter that we aren't technically their fathers or grandfather, what matters is that we provide a strong support system."_

"_And how is those boys having two mothers any different from a kid having only a mother and no father around?" Morgan asked James_

_Hotch didn't give him time to answer before he spoke up again, "There isn't a difference Mr Jareau. You see that boy in there" Hotch said turning around and looking through the glass, waiting for the older man to turn and look._

_Once James had turned and was standing next to the agent, Hotch continued, "That dark haired boy who just got up and is now talking to Emily. That's my son Jack, he's ten. His mother was killed six years ago, this month actually, and I have not remarried. But luckily he has his aunt, who was my wife's sister, as well as Penelope Garcia, JJ…and Emily" Hotch said the last part with a slight smile as he watched Jack bend down and hug Emily tightly before she placed a kiss on the young boy's cheek._

"_So will my son have problems because he grew up without a mother?" Hotch said turning to look at Mr Jareau, "Not any more than any other boy who has grown up without a mother but he is also lucky because he's growing up with four strong women in his life who can each fill the role of a mother in a different way"_

"_That's different though" Mr Jareau said as he faced Hotch, "He isn't being raised by gay parents so he will have less likelihood of being…you know…"_

"_Gay?" Reid spoke up again, "Actually research shows that there is no evidence that not having a mother or father and being raised by a same sex couple produces any sort of gender confusion or insecure gender identity"_

"_There is obviously a lot we don't know" Mrs Jareau spoke up as she stood beside her husband_

"_Oh and as for Declan, the son of the killer. A lot has to do with the environment a person is raised in and for a fifteen year old boy, he is thriving. He is one of the lead scorers on his lacrosse team and he is the top ten percent of his class, as well as a very gifted piano player" Reid added_

_The older couple nodded their heads before Mrs Jareau spoke up again, "Will you tell us about how our daughter is doing now…please?"_

_Hotch nodded and while he began to fill them on JJ's condition the other three men went back into the waiting room and reclaimed their seats._

_A few minutes later the Jareau's followed Hotch into the waiting room. They both stared at Emily and the boys for a moment. Noticing how the older two boys stared intently back at them and not in a friendly way. James Jareau began to sit down in a chair when his wife began to walk towards Emily and the boys. _

_Emily tensed slightly when she noticed JJ's mother walking towards them. She could feel Declan tense also and she placed a gentle hand on his thigh to calm him and tell him it was okay. _

_Mrs Jareau stopped and sat down in the chair across from Emily. She looked across to the brunette agents dark eyes and managed a half smile. Emily looked into the older woman's dark blue eyes and slowly began to relax._

"_How are you holding up Emily?" Katherine Jareau asked as she continued to look at the brunette_

"_I'm okay. You?" Emily asked, being polite_

"_Still in a state of shock" she answered_

_Emily nodded as she watched JJ's father slowly approaching as well before he took a seat next to his wife. Emily could see the rest of her team, her family, keeping an eye on the interaction that was taking place and felt a little better._

_There was silence for a couple of minutes before Ethan spoke up, "My mom only invited you here because it was polite"_

_Emily's head snapped to her left to look at her ten year old son, "Ethan Tyler that is enough"_

"_It's true" Declan muttered under his breath_

"_That goes for you too" Emily said turning her attention to the teenager_

"_It's okay" Mrs Jareau replied looking at Emily, "They are just being protective"_

"_It's okay for them to be protective, not rude" Emily said as she looked at her two sons_

_Both boys looked down at the floor, refusing to make eye contact with their mother._

"_I'm so sorry Emily" Katherine Jareau said looking at Emily_

_Emily slowly turned from her sons to look at JJ's mother. The older woman looked tired and sad and Emily immediately felt for her._

"_I'm sorry for everything Emily. The things I said and the way I treated you. I was wrong and I just hope…I…I hope you can find it in your heart to forgive me one day" the woman said sincerely as she looked at the brunette agent_

"_She's in room 403…if you want to go see her" Emily told the older couple_

_Katherine Jareau nodded, "Okay we will be right back"_

_With that the couple stood up and headed back out of the waiting room, down the hall to their daughters room._

_About fifteen minutes later the couple came back into the waiting room and found everyone in the same positions as earlier. Mrs Jareau walked back over to her previous seat across from Emily. When Emily looked into the older woman's eyes she could see that she had been crying and was trying hard to hold it together. Emily tightened her lips, biting the lower one nervously before taking a deep breath and turning towards Henry, placing her right hand on the seven year olds back._

"_Sweetie why don't you go give your grandmother a hug. She looks like she could use it" Emily told Henry quietly_

_Henry turned to look up at her with inquisitive light brown eyes, obviously questioning if she was serious. She managed a slight smile and nodded her head. Henry then got up slowly from the chair before taking the few steps to stand in front of his grandmother. Katherine Jareau looked up and into her grandson's light eyes and couldn't help but smile. Before she could even say anything the small boy had leaned forward and wrapped his arms around the older woman's neck, squeezing lightly. _

_Emily watched as JJ's mother wrapped her arms around the little boy, returning the hug he was giving her. Then Emily turned to her other two boys who were sitting to her left and looked at them, noticing they were watching everything with wary faces._

_Henry then pulled away from his grandmother and looking into her eyes he smiled saying, "Mama's gonna be okay. She's strong"_

_Then he turned around and walked back over to Emily, but instead of sitting in the chair next to her he turned and scooted onto her lap. He felt her arms wrap around him and squeeze lightly. He then leaned back into her and let the back of his head rest on her shoulder. Emily took that chance to kiss him on the cheek, before letting her cheek rest against his for a moment before leaning back herself._

_Katherine Jareau smiled brightly at the seven year old and the interaction between him and Emily. She again scolded herself in her mind for allowing everything that transpired three years ago and missing out on so much of her daughter's life._

"_What grade are you kids in now?" Mrs Jareau asked a few minutes later_

_Ethan and Declan just stared before turning to look at their mother who nodded. They then turned back to face the older woman._

"_I'm a sophomore" Declan answered_

"_Me and Jack are in fifth grade" Ethan replied_

_The older woman nodded before she turned her attention to Declan, "I hear you play lacrosse?"_

_The blonde teenager nodded before he responded, "And soccer"_

_The older woman's eyes lit up and Emily knew that she was thinking about all the games she saw JJ play in when she was younger._

"_My Jenny used to play" Katherine said as she looked at Declan_

_Declan nodded, "I know…and she still plays"_

"_What?" Mrs Jareau asked_

"_JJ…she still plays soccer. She talked the BAU into starting a team for fun. She's the leading scorer" Declan told the woman with a smile_

"_Oh…I had no idea…I guess there's a lot I don't know" the older woman said sadly_

"_I play soccer too" Henry told his grandmother with a smile_

"_Of course you do" she replied as she turned to look at the small boy, who in that moment reminded her so much of her daughter_

"_I play forward like mommy did"_

"_That's really great sweetie" she told him with a smile_

"_What about you Ethan? Do you play any sports?" Mrs Jareau asked the ten year old, who she could see looked so much, no almost exactly like his mother_

_The dark haired boy shook his head, "No"_

"_Oh, well what do you do for fun?" she asked, trying to learn more about the boy_

_He shrugged his shoulders, "I like to sing and dance"_

_Before the older woman could reply Declan jumped in, "Yeah he is a pretty wicked break dancer"_

_Mrs Jareau had no idea what that meant, "I'm sorry. I don't know what that is"_

"_He does a lot of cool moves, and spins, and flips, and stuff like that" Henry jumped in before anyone else could_

"_Oh"_

"_Maybe he can show you sometime, when we are out of the hospital" Emily suggested as she turned to look at her dark haired son_

"_Whatever" he replied_

"_You should see him and mama. Sometimes they sing and dance together" Henry stated with a smile_

"_JJ sings and dances?" Katherine questioned_

"_No Emily and Ethan" Declan replied quickly as he looked at the older woman_

"_Oh" she replied not knowing what to say_

_Emily could tell the older woman was uncomfortable and Emily also knew it was because Henry had just called her mama. She thought a moment before speaking to break the uncomfortable silence._

"_JJ has a pretty amazing voice also" she said, immediately cursing herself for choosing to say that. She was never good at breaking the silence when she was nervous and uncomfortable, and she was definitely both right now._

_Mrs Jareau smiled and nodded, "She used to put on little shows for us when she was little. She and her sister. But I haven't heard her sing in a long time."_

_Ethan was watching the older woman and could tell that she was sad thinking about the past. He also knew that JJ's sister had died when they were quite young and no matter how angry he was with the older couple, he also felt sorry for them._

"_She sings with me sometimes. And my mom's right, she does have a pretty voice. When we were younger they both used to sing to us to help us fall asleep" Ethan told the older woman as he looked at her_

_Mrs Jareau met the dark eyes of the ten year old boy and she couldn't help but smile. Even though she didn't know these kids that well, she could tell that they were good kids, with good hearts._

"_I am really, truly sorry for everything I said and did three years ago. I know that's it's probably too late to apologize but-"_

"_It's never too late" Emily told the older woman with a smile_

"_Does that mean you're sorry for calling my mom a slutty whore?" Henry questioned, still in Emily's lap_

"_Henry" Emily scolded, but before anyone could say anything else Declan spoke up_

"_It wasn't Mrs Jareau who said that" the teenager stated as he turned to stare at her husband, "It was Mr Jareau"_

"_Oh well I heard grandma say that-" Henry began but was cut off with Emily's hand covering his mouth_

"_So Mr Jareau. How do you feel about all of this? Are you going to apologize for your behavior? Or just let your wife do all of the apologizing?" Declan asked, his voice rising slightly_

_Emily reached over with her free hand and patted Declan's knee, but he ignored it. He was also aware that everyone else in the room was now listening very carefully to the conversation in the room. When the older man didn't answer Declan continued._

"_Well? Are you going to answer the question? Are you going to apologizing for everything you said to my mother?"_

_The older man looked defeated as he looked from the blonde teenager to the other boys and Emily._

"_I do regret some of the things that were said and done the last time we were all together, but I know I can't take it back" Mr Jareau replied_

"_But you can apologize" Ethan piped up, "It takes a strong man to apologize and even stronger one to forgive someone"_

_Mr Jareau turned to brunette boy amazed at the wisdom that had just come from him, "Who told you that?"_

"_My mom" Ethan said as he looked over at Emily, who smiled at him_

_Mr Jareau nodded, "I was wrong about so many things and I am sorry. I don't know what else to say"_

"_I guess that will do…for now" Declan replied_

_The older man nodded before he looked at the teenager again, "You're a good kid…brave too"_

_Declan shrugged, "We've been raised well" he said as he looked at Emily_

"_We can see that" Mrs Jareau said with a smile_

_The older woman then turned back to Henry and smiled, "You look so much like your mother"_

_Henry grinned at his grandmother as Declan spoke up, "If you think he looks like JJ wait until you see Penny, she's JJ's mini me"_

"_Who's Penny?" Katherine asked as she crinkled her eyebrows_

_Emily's mouth dropped open slightly, realizing that JJ hadn't spoken to her parents in three years so they had no idea about the little girl. She tried to recover quickly as she opened her mouth to speak, but Ethan beat her to it._

"_She's our little sister" he told the older woman matter of factly_

_Mrs Jareau's mouth dropped open, as did her husbands, before she found words to speak, "Jenny had a daughter?"_

_Emily's mouth finally caught up with her brain as she began to speak, "Yes, we added a little girl to the family almost two years ago. Her name is Penelope, but we call her Penny"_

"_She's named after Aunt P and Uncle D" Henry smiled proudly at the mention of his aunt and uncle_

"_Who?" the older man questioned_

"_Them" Declan said pointing across the room_

_Mr and Mrs Jareau turned around slightly to see the dark skinned man and a blonde woman with their hands raised._

"_I do remember Jenny used to talk about you, Penelope…Garcia, right?" Katherine Jareau asked_

_Garcia nodded with a smile, "Yes, that's me"_

_Mrs Jareau smiled before turning back around and looking at the family in front of her, "Wow, a little girl. Where is she?"_

"_She's at home with a friend. I thought it would be easier to let her stay at home, so she's on a schedule" Emily told the older woman_

_Katherine smiled at Emily and nodded, "Well I hope I get a chance to meet her"_

_Emily nodded, "You will"_

_Emily felt a little more relaxed since the Jareau's had now apologized for most of what happened the last time they were together, but she was still uncertain as to what that meant for their future relationships. She was worried that once JJ woke up that her parents would change their minds again and it would cause another huge fight, which was the last thing Emily wanted. She remembered how she and JJ had fought after JJ announced that her parents were no longer welcome in their lives. They had never fought like that and it had not only scared Emily, but also the kids, and Emily never wanted to put any of them through that again._

_They spent the next two days at the hospital only going home to sleep and shower. The last night Morgan stayed with the kids at the house and Emily spent the night at the hospital in JJ's room._

_As Emily attempted to sleep in the uncomfortable chair beside JJ's bed, she thought that she heard someone say something. She figured she was just hearing things because she was so tired, but then she heard it again and it sounded like her name. She sat up quickly in the chair and leaned forward taking JJ's hand in her own._

"_JJ" Emily said softly as she rubbed the blonde's hand_

"_Em" JJ squeaked out, her eyes still closed_

"_Yeah baby, it's me, open your eyes for me" Emily said gently as she stood up and leaned over JJ_

_Slowly JJ's eyes began to flutter open, then closed again, before once again opening. Emily smiled as she stared down into her wife's beautiful blue eyes._

"_Hi there beautiful" Emily said_

_JJ struggled to smile, responding equally, "Hi"_

_Her throat was dry and she attempted to cough. Emily reached for the water pitcher and cup next to JJ's bed. She let go of JJ's hand for a second to pour her a cup of water._

"_Thirsty?" she asked turning back to JJ with a cup of water_

_JJ nodded, so Emily put a straw in the cup and held it for JJ to sip on. One she was done JJ closed her eyes again but reached out for Emily's hand, which she gladly took._

"_I heard…you…talking about…the…kids" JJ said straining her voice slightly before opening her eyes back up to look at Emily_

_Emily nodded, "The doctor said that even though you were in a coma that you could hear people talking, especially people you loved"_

_JJ smiled, "I do..love you"_

"_I love you too Jayje"_

"_How long…have…I …been out?" JJ asked_

"_Almost four days. The doctor was starting to get worried" Emily answered_

"_What time…is it?"_

"_Almost 430 in the morning"_

_JJ's eyes grew wide, "The kids"_

_Emily smiled, "They're fine. Morgan is at the house with them."_

_JJ was silent again as she closed her eyes._

"_So you remember all of us and what happened" Emily questioned_

_JJ opened her eyes again to look at Emily who was still standing next to her bed._

"_Yes…why"_

"_The doctor was worried you would have some kind of memory loss, but he said we wouldn't know anything until you woke up"_

"_Yes Em…I remember the house…and…getting shot…but most importantly…I remember you…and the kids"_

"_And you have no idea how happy I am to hear you say that" Emily said as she bent down and kissed JJ lightly on the lips_

_Later that morning JJ was moved into a regular room and that afternoon Morgan brought the kids up to the hospital, including Penny. As soon as Henry walked through the door he ran to his mother and climbed up onto the bed._

"_Mommy I missed you" he told her as he wrapped his arms around her neck carefully_

_JJ hugged him tightly as she kissed him on the head, "I missed you too H. I love you so much"_

"_I love you too Mommy" he replied before he kissed her on the lips_

_Ethan was next in line to hug JJ, "I love you too mama and I missed you"_

"_Well dido handsome" JJ told him as she pulled him closer to kiss his cheek_

_JJ turned and saw Declan standing next to Morgan, "Are you going to come see me D, or did you not miss me?"_

_Declan shuffled his feet back and forth before walking around to the other side of the bed. He then bent down and kissed JJ on the cheek lightly, "I missed you too"_

"_I know, Emily told me" JJ replied with a smile before pulling the teenager in for a hug, "I love you Declan"_

_Declan wrapped his arms around his blonde mother, fighting back the tears, thankful that she was okay, "I love you too mom"_

_Once JJ released him he walked back over to Morgan and lifted Penny out of his arms before turning and walking back over to JJ with the toddler. Then he handed her to JJ and watched as his mother took the toddler and kissed her cheeks. Declan sat down on the bed next to JJ, one foot propped up next to hers, while his left foot dangled off of the bed. They had a few more moments of family time, before the rest of the extended family arrived to see for themselves that JJ was okay. Garcia nearly took Morgan out when she opened the door to the room and practically pushed all of the kids out of the way to get to JJ. Ethan literally lost his balance as Garcia pushed past him in an attempt to get to his mother. Luckily Emily was standing beside him and caught him before he hit the ground. Both brunettes shook their heads simultaneously at the concerned blonde, but also couldn't help but smile._

_As the extended family stood around Emily turned to JJ. As their eyes connected JJ knew there was something going on._

"_What's wrong Em?" JJ asked as she looked up at her wife who was positioned next to her bed on her right, Ethan standing in front of Emily, and her arms draped over his shoulders, their hands locked together._

"_I need to tell you something" Emily answered nervously_

_Hotch took that as a cue to usher everyone out of the door, but JJ raised her voice, "Wait"_

_Everyone froze in place before she spoke up again, "Nobody is leaving until Emily tells me what's going on, because obviously you all know about whatever it is"_

_Emily smiled nervously at JJ, "Your parent's are here"_

"_What?" JJ asked, caught completely off guard_

"_They had a right to know Jen. You were shot in the head" the brunette stated_

"_But they…I told them…they came?" JJ said surprised_

_Emily nodded, "Yes and they even apologized for everything"_

_JJ's mouth dropped open, "My father apologized"_

_Emily opened her mouth slightly and tilted her head to the right in a half nod, still showing the surprise herself "To the best of his ability"_

"_Wow…I don't know what to say" the blonde responded still in a state of shock_

_A minute later there was a knock on the door before the door of the room slowly opened, revealing JJ's parents. As they stood in the doorway they smiled at their daughter, waiting for permission to enter._

"_We are going to wait outside" Hotch said as he ushered the rest of the team and Jack outside into the hallway._

_JJ finally spoke up, "You guys can come in, you know"_

"_We weren't sure" her mother replied as she and her husband stepped completely into the room and allowed the door to shut behind them_

"_Jenny I'm so glad you're okay" her mother replied as she walked towards the bed, letting the tears slowly fall_

"_I'm okay mom" JJ said soothingly_

"_Hey guys why don't we wait outside too" Emily said as she turned Ethan towards the door_

"_No" JJ said quickly, "Stay…please"_

_Emily looked into JJ's eyes and saw the uncertainty in the depths of blue. Emily only nodded at JJ, telling her silently that she would be right here with her._

_JJ still had Penny on her lap as her mother made it over to the bed._

"_I'm so sorry Jenny…for everything" her mother said bending down and kissing JJ on the forehead _

"_Me too JJ" her father added as he stepped up next to his wife_

_JJ nodded not quite knowing what to say. Declan was still perched next to her on the bed, while Henry sat at the foot dangling his feet off._

"_This must be Penny" her mother said as she looked at the toddler_

_JJ nodded, "Yes. You haven't met her?"_

_Her mother shook her head, "No"_

_JJ turned to look at Emily who answered the silent question, "She stayed with Jess while we were up here"_

_JJ nodded in understanding before picking up the toddler and turning her to face her grandparents, "This is Penelope Morgan Prentiss and she is about to turn two"_

"_She's beautiful" her mother responded with a smile_

"_She looks just like you" her father pointed out_

_JJ smiled and let out a small laugh, "She does doesn't she"_

_They all talked for a little bit longer before Emily could tell that JJ was tired._

"_Hey guys why don't we let JJ get some rest and we will come back later" the brunette suggested_

_Declan reached out to take Penny, but not before JJ planted a big kiss on the little girl's lips, which caused the toddler to laugh. As Declan took the little girl from JJ, he leaned over enough to plant a kiss on her cheek._

"_Love you mom"_

"_Love you too D"_

_JJ's parent's stood back and watched the interchange between the kids and JJ._

_Declan lifted Penny easily as he stood up from the bed and walked around it to walk across the small room to wait by the door. Next Ethan stepped closer to the bed as he placed his hands on the mattress and lifted himself slightly off the floor so that he could plant a kiss on JJ' lips._

"_Love you mom" he smiled as he dropped back to the floor_

_JJ smiled as she reached out to ruffle the ten year old's hair, "Love you too E"_

_He then spun around and walked over to stand next to his older brother. Lastly, Henry crawled from the foot of the bed up to his mother. He smiled at her before JJ cupped his face and pulled him closer, planting a kiss on his lips._

"_Love you little man"_

"_Love you too mama" he giggled before he stood up on the hospital bed_

"_H" JJ scolded with a smile_

_Emily was quick though and held one hand out to the seven year old, who took her hand in one of his before he leaped off of the bed and onto the floor. Both mothers shook their heads at the boy as he raced to stand next to his brothers._

_JJ noticed her parents standing off to the side with smiles on both of their faces, "Are you guys okay?_

"_What? Of course honey" her mother answered with a smile_

_JJ looked at them funny for a moment before turning to look at her wife, "Em"_

"_Yeah babe" Emily said as she turned to look at the blonde_

"_Would you stay with me for awhile?" JJ asked, clearly uncomfortable with showing her vulnerability in front of her parents_

"_Of course" Emily answered in a soothing voice, "Let me just go ask Hotch to take the kids home for awhile"_

_JJ nodded when her mother spoke up, "We could watch them"_

_JJ turned from her parents to her kids and could see the uncertainty and nervousness on their faces. Then she turned back to her parents._

"_While I appreciate the offer, mother, my kids don't know you that well, so I don't really feel comfortable leaving them with you…yet. That's something we are going to have to work up to, after we talk more"_

_Her mother's face fell slightly but she spoke strongly, "I understand"_

_JJ nodded and then turned back to Emily and nodded. Emily turned and walked over to the kids, wrapping her arm around Henry as she opened the door and walked out with the boys to talk to her friends about the kids._

"_Mom, dad" JJ said before they opened the door to leave the room also_

_Her parents turned and looked at their daughter._

"_Don't get me wrong. I'm glad you have had a change of heart, but it's still been three years. It's going to take awhile for me to adjust to the idea that you are back in my life and want to be a part of my family's life. I just hope that your apologies to Emily and the kids were sincere and I hope you truly have accepted us for who we are. With that being said, I love you, and I'm glad you are both here"_

_Her parent's smiled as her mother replied, "We love you too Jenny"_

_JJ watched as he parent's left the room only seconds before the door opened again, revealing Emily who smiled brightly at the blonde who was still sitting up in the bed. JJ returned the smile as she locked eyes with her wife as she made her way over to her bed. Emily stopped to stand next to the bed when JJ looked up at her with sad eyes._

"_What's wrong babe?" Emily questioned as she reached for the blondes hand_

"_Will you lay with me?" JJ asked as she squeezed the brunette's hand_

_Emily smiled sadly before sitting on the bed next to JJ and swinging her legs up to rest next to the blonde's. She wrapped her left arm around JJ's shoulders and pulled her into her chest carefully. JJ gladly accepted as she snuggled into the crook of Emily's neck, sighing in relief before her left hand reached across the brunette's waist to lock fingers with Emily's right._

"_Are you going to tell me what's wrong now, sweetie?" Emily asked in a quiet, understanding voice_

"_I'm just glad that I have you in my life Em. No matter what happens I know you will always be there"_

"_Well the same goes for me Jayje, but I feel like that's not what's really bothering you" Emily said as her thumb started stroking JJ's thumb gently in a soothing manner_

_JJ was quiet and didn't say anything so Emily took a guess, "Is it your parent's?"_

_She felt JJ sigh into her neck and knew that she was right._

"_Why do you have to know me so well?" JJ questioned, but Emily could feel her smiling into her neck, and Emily couldn't help but smile also._

"_Well sometimes it's a blessing and a curse" Emily joked_

_JJ was silent again before finally speaking up, "I just don't know if I believe them Em…I want too…but"_

"_It's okay to have doubts JJ. You guys didn't exactly end things on good terms. It's been three years. You have every right to take things slow with them. But they are your parents and they did apologize."_

_JJ nodded into Emily's neck, "But did they mean it?"_

_This time Emily sighed before she answered, "I think they did…or at least your mother did…I couldn't tell with your father"_

_JJ nodded again, "Yeah he's never been good with his feelings. I mean neither has my mother, but he's way worse"_

_Emily smiled at the thought of the older couple and she squeezed JJ hand reassuringly, "I can't make that decision for you J, you know that, but know that I will stand behind you no matter what"_

_She felt the blonde nod into her neck again before JJ tightened her hold on Emily's hand, "I know"_

_They were silent again for a few minutes before Emily moved the hand she had wrapped around JJ's shoulder, just enough, that she could run her fingers through the blonde hair._

"_You want to know something J" before JJ could even respond Emily continued, "I've missed you"_

_The blonde closed her eyes, fighting back the tears at what Emily must have gone through the past week, before squeezing the brunettes hand again._

"_It was only a few days" JJ replied trying to lighten the mood_

"_It felt like a lifetime" Emily told her as she continued to stroke through the blonde hair, "Especially because this wasn't a normal time spent apart"_

_JJ lifted her head from Emily's shoulder to look into the dark eyes that she loved so much, "I love you Emily"_

_Before the brunette could even respond JJ had leaned forward and placed her lips against Emily's in deep meaningful kiss, before pulling away._

"_Wow, I've missed those lips" Emily told the blonde with a smile_

_JJ blushed lightly before replacing her head in the crook of Emily's neck._

"_And I love you too Jen" Emily added as she held the blonde tighter_

_JJ was released from the hospital a couple of days later and JJ's parents flew back home to give the family some time to think about things. JJ was getting around just fine but not without the constant eye of Emily and the boys watching her every move. After discussing things with Emily the two women decided to invite the Jareau's back for the Thanksgiving holidays._

_That year for Thanksgiving everyone canceled their original plans, deciding instead to all spend it at the Prentiss-Jareau household. Everyone knew they were lucky that JJ was alright and nobody could fathom spending Thanksgiving anywhere else._

_JJ's parents arrived the day before Thanksgiving, choosing to stay in a hotel not far from the house, but still to give the family space. When the holiday finally arrived the Prentiss-Jareau house was full of noise and laughter. The boys were attempting to play football in the backyard with the help of Morgan and Hotch, while Rossi, Reid, and Kevin sat in the living room with Penny. JJ, Emily, and Garcia were getting the last of the food and drinks ready in the kitchen, while the older Jareau's stood around, watching the interactions between all of the team members, admiring the flow of things._

_As Mrs Jareau stood back and watched the group interact she thought about what a close-knit group they were. The looks and body language, not to mention the half-finished thoughts that one person would complete for another. All of this and more said that these seven adults, this team, and their children were bonded together like glue. Their respect for one another, the kids respect for each adult that would be in the room, not to mention the comfort factor that the kids seem to have around each adult._

_JJ took that moment to interrupt the older woman's thoughts as she announced that dinner was ready. Mrs Jareau watched as Emily opened the back door and hollered at the group that was outside. A few minutes later the boys along, with Morgan and Hotch came filing through the door laughing. Mrs Jareau smiled when she saw Morgan walk in with Henry thrown over one of his shoulders and Ethan hanging on his back._

_After the kids washed up everyone found seats at the extra long table that guys had set up in the living room after shifting most of the furniture around. Mrs Jareau watched again the interactions between this group of people they were sharing Thanksgiving with. She knew they were connected due to their job and the things that they saw and dealt with on a daily basis, but she saw more than that between these people. She noticed the way Garcia interacted lovingly with Morgan and how there was obvious affection for one another everywhere around the table. The way Emily warmed when she spoke or listened to Reid, who was sitting next to her. The same way Mrs Jareau watched her daughters face warm when she was speaking with Hotch, who was sitting across from her. It was love that the older woman saw between these people, not the kind of love that sprang from passion, but something more deep and true than that. _

_She continued to watch the interplay. Rossi handing another roll to Garcia without her having to ask, just as Emily reached across Reid to get Morgan's plate so that she could add some more turkey and cranberries to it, knowing that those were two of his favorites. Reid and JJ exchanged heartwarming smiles, each saying so much, without having to use words. While Morgan and Emily shared looks in an unspoken joke that had them both chuckling within seconds. The older woman watched as Hotch nodded down the table to Rossi, who had asked a silent question, and the lead agent had answered without words as well._

_She then turned her attention to the children who were at the other end of the table laughing and cutting up. They had all become brothers, including Jack, even though none of them were biologically related except for Ethan and Declan. If you threw Penny into the mix then Henry and Penny were the only other ones who were related by blood. But you definitely couldn't tell by listening to them or watching them._

_As dinner slowly winded down and dishes became stacked up on the counter the older woman continued to watch the children with the adults. She and her husband claimed a small chair off to the side of the living room as they listened and watched the events transpire before them. Declan helped the guys clean up the living room and move the couches back into place. A short time later everyone was gathered in the living room squeezed together on the two sofas and the chairs. Declan had squeezed himself between JJ and Hotch who were already sharing the couch with Reid who was on the other side of JJ. While Kevin and Garcia shared one of the big chairs, Penny perched on Garcia's lap. Rossi occupied the other large chair with Henry squeezed into it with him. That left Morgan and Emily on the love seat, with Ethan already squeezed in between them. Jack had come out of the bathroom to find all of the seats taken, but he just shrugged his shoulders before moving towards the love seat. He playfully fell across Morgan, Ethan, and Emily who all cried out as he did, before they began laughing. Jack then got up with a smile on his face and moved to sit on the arm rest next to Emily. That didn't last long though as Emily held her arms out to the ten year old boy. He smiled lovingly as he turned to sit on her lap sideways, leaning his back against the arm rest of the couch. The older woman watched as Emily leaned back into the couch, relaxing, while she lifted her right hand out to Jack and began to run her fingers through his short brown hair, as if he were her own son._

_All of this, the ease, made it clear to Katherine Jareau that rebuilding this bridge between her daughter and herself over the years apart was going to take a lot of time and trust between both parties involved. She could see that these people here weren't just team mates, or friends. They had all become family. _

Present Day:

As Emily finished reliving one of the worst times in her life she felt JJ squeeze her hand tightly. She turned and saw JJ, a sadness in her eyes.

"I'm sorry Em. But look I'm here and I'm okay"

"I know. I don't know why I have these dreams sometimes"

"Because it was something that was out of your control. You don't like not being able to protect the ones that you love." JJ answered as she reached up and brushed some of Emily's dark hair out of her face.

"One of the things I love about you is how fiercely loyal you are to the ones you love. How you would do anything to protect them. But sometimes we can't do anything to protect, or even save, the ones that we love. But we have to be able to understand that if that happens, it was meant to be. If not, then we would have been able to save them and change the outcome. Like Declan. That was meant to be. He was meant to be with us."

Emily nodded as she squeezed JJ's hand, "I love you, ya know that"

JJ smiled as she raised one eyebrow, "I had an inkling" she said as she winked at Emily

The brunette smiled, "Only an inkling, huh?"

"Yeah you might have to refresh me on how much you love me. Make it more clear to me" JJ said, saying the last sentence in a seductive tone

"Earlier wasn't enough proof?" Emily questioned with raised eyebrows

"Earlier seems like so long ago"

"Well I guess I will just have to take you back in time to remind you then won't I" Emily said as she leaned forward and captured JJ's lips with her own.

A/N: Okay I'm finished with most of the fluffy stuff. The next chapters should start to deal with a person who wants revenge on the Prentiss-Jareau household.


	7. Chapter 6

A/N: So I keep saying the revenge is going to start in the next chapter, but then I get caught up in the family moments and before I know it the chapter is super long. Sorry. There are glimpses that show something will be happening in the future chapters. But this chapter is mainly family related…again.

Oh and I am posting this now but don't expect an update again until at least the 20th of December, because I am going out of the country this weekend and won't be back until a week later. So enjoy this chapter!

CH 6

Emily and JJ had rented a beach house for ten days on Virginia Beach that was booked for the week after Declan's birthday. Between planning for their vacation and trying to plan a birthday party for their son they were both almost at their wits end.

"Emily are you sure this is a good idea? I mean don't you think he would want more people than this to come to his party?" JJ asked as she walked into their kitchen with a short list of names

Emily looked up from the magazine she was looking at to look at her wife, "Jayje he already said he didn't want a lot of people over. You know how he is."

"I know it's just, it's his sixteenth birthday Em and I want it to be special" the blonde said as she sat down next to Emily at their island.

Emily reached over and rubbed the younger woman's back, "I know babe, but this is what he wants"

JJ nodded as she set down the piece of paper and looked over at the magazine Emily was looking at.

"So this is the place we are going?" she asked as she slid the magazine towards herself as she looked at the rock structures and people climbing them

"Yep and it's the closest one to the area. It'll only take us half an hour to get there, which is good because I don't know if I can handle five teenage boys any longer than that in a car" Emily replied

"Em we deal with serial killers on a daily basis and you're afraid of a few teenage boys?" JJ said with a smile as she looked at the brunette

"Not afraid JJ. I just don't want to kill any of them before we make it there" she answered

"Emily Prentiss" JJ scolded as she slapped her wife on the arm

"What?" Emily laughed, "I can handle Declan and Mike, but when we add Chase, Tanner, and Ben to the mix, I just don't know what might happen"

"Well I guess it's a good thing I will be in the car with you guys then, isn't it" JJ replied

Before Emily could answer the doorbell rang. Just as the two women were getting up from the island they could hear footsteps running upstairs before pounding down the stairs.

"I got it" Declan yelled loudly causing both Emily and JJ to cringe

The two women still walked to the front door to see the delivery guys standing in the doorway. One of the men looked over at the two women and held out a clipboard.

"I need a signature"

JJ walked up and took the clipboard from the man who continued to stare at the blonde woman. Emily rolled her eyes as she continued to watch the man ogle JJ.

JJ handed the clipboard back to the man and smiled before she turned to step out of the way so that they could bring in the delivery. As JJ stepped out of the way the man continued to watch her, and Emily finally had enough. She walked up behind JJ and wrapped her arms around the younger woman's waist, resting her chin on the blonde's shoulder. JJ rubbed Emily's arms before turning to look at the brunette with a smile. Emily returned the smile before placing a light kiss on JJ's lips.

When Emily looked back over to the front door the man was standing there with his jaw hanging open and Emily couldn't help but smirk, which earned her a light elbow to the ribs from JJ. The man then turned to yell at the other guys to hurry up. He then stepped inside the house as the other two workers came inside carrying a mattress. As he stood next to Declan he leaned down and casually asked.

"Those are your moms?" the man asked

Declan smiled and nodded.

"Wow" the man replied

Declan rolled his eyes before he turned and ushered the men upstairs with the mattress. Once they got to his room they set up the bed before turning and nodded to the teenage boy.

"Thanks" Declan told them as they walked out of his room

After Emily and JJ had shown the delivery guys out they walked upstairs to check out Declan's new bed. When they got to his doorway they found their sixteen year old son rolling around on his new bed before propping himself up on his elbows and falling back down onto the bed and then bouncing up and down on it. Both women began to giggle before Emily spoke up.

"Declan you want us to close your door so that you can have some privacy with your new bed" she joked

Declan rolled to his back with a smile as he spread his arms out across his bed, "This. Bed. Is. Amazing."

Emily and JJ just laughed at their son as he rubbed his arms back and forth across the bed.

"And look" he said jumping further onto the bed so that he was centered on it and lying flat, "My feet don't hang off"

"And as long as you stop growing you should be fine" JJ said as she stepped inside the room

"Yeah kid, because if you outgrow this one, you are on your own for the next bed" Emily responded as she walked into the bedroom as well

Declan sat up in the middle of the bed a smile still plastered across his face. He then shimmied to the end of the bed and stood up before walking over to his mothers and wrapping an arm around both of them pulling them in for a group hug. He squeezed them both tightly.

"Thank you" he told them both sincerely before he let go of them

Emily nodded while JJ responded, "You're welcome"

Emily then turned and grabbed his new deep blue sheets off of his dresser tossing them at the teenage boy. He caught them before turning and walking back over to his new bed. Emily went to the other side of the bed and together they put his new sheets on before JJ handed them his new blue and brown striped comforter. Once it was made Declan smiled again.

"Sweet" he said before jumping back onto the bed face first and smothering his face into his pillows

Emily and JJ both rolled their eyes as they turned to walk out of the room.

That Saturday Emily was trying to pack an ice chest with food and drinks while JJ was helping get the younger children ready. Amidst all of that there was very loud noise emanating from the living room where there were five teenage boys all waiting to go rock climbing. Emily shook her head as she heard them laughing and rough housing with each other.

A few minutes later she heard yelling and she stood up to look into the living room and caught Chase with Ethan thrown over his shoulder, spinning him in a circle.

"Put me down" Ethan yelled as he slammed his fists into Chase's back

"Dude put him down before he barfs all over you" Declan said to his friend

Of course this just made Chase spin faster until Emily raised her voice from the kitchen.

"Chase Jackson please put my son down" she said in a serious tone as she stood with her hands on her hips

Chase immediately stopped when he heard her voice and lowered the eleven year old to the ground. As Ethan tried to walk away he lost his balance and luckily fell onto the couch.

"Jerks" Ethan muttered as he waited for the dizziness to stop

"Sorry Agent Prentiss" Chase apologized as he turned around to smile at her

"You can't win me over that easily" she told the sixteen year old, her hands still on her hips

Ethan finally made it off the couch and into the kitchen. Emily looked at him and could see he was more pale than usual.

"E are you okay?" she asked as she felt his forehead

"Yeah I just don't feel so good after that" he said, motioning towards the group of teenagers in the living room

Emily nodded, "Ya sorry about that"

Ethan nodded as he looked from the ice chest to his mother, "Are we ready yet?"

"Almost. We are just waiting on your aunts and uncles. They should be here in a few minutes" she said as she ruffled her eleven year old son's straight dark hair

JJ walked into the kitchen at that time with Penny in her arms and Henry following behind her. JJ's eyes met Emily's and she could tell that the blonde was already overwhelmed.

"They almost tried to grab Henry when we walked by, God knows what they wanted to do to him" JJ said as she sat Penny on the island

"Probably spin him in a circle until he barfs" Ethan said as he looked at his blonde mother

JJ looked from Ethan to Emily, who just nodded.

"We are in the middle of a teenage wasteland" Emily said as she looked around JJ to the five teenage boys in the living room

"Okay then. You guys just stay close to us or your uncles, alright" JJ said looking from Henry to Ethan

"Not a problem" answered Ethan

Emily smiled before adding the last of the items to the ice chests. Then she looked into the living room at the boys horsing around.

"I need a few strong young men to help me load these ice chests into the car" Emily yelled into the living room

Chase, Tanner, and Ben all practically ran into the kitchen, stopping in front of the island, standing next to JJ, who had quickly grabbed Penny off of the counter and pulled Henry against her when she saw the three of them rushing into the kitchen.

"Which vehicle would you like these loaded into?" Ben asked with a smile, his brown shaggy hair held back by a blue backwards lacrosse hat

"The suburban" she replied as she watched the three boys walk around to where she was standing so that they could get to the coolers

A few seconds later Mike sauntered into the kitchen to help also. Emily and JJ watched as the four teenagers carried out the coolers to load them into the car. As they went out the back door JJ and Emily both shook their heads before they turned back around and found Declan standing in the kitchen with his arms crossed.

"Mom I thought we had a conversation about the attire you were supposed to wear around my friends" he stated as he stared at Emily

"Excuse me? I'm wearing jeans and a shirt, what's wrong with that? You should talk to that one" Emily replied pointing to JJ, who was in a spaghetti strap shirt and a pair of jeans

Declan turned from Emily to JJ as he stared at her as well.

"Hey now, I don't even know what you are talking about" JJ pointed out as she stared at her son

"You two are relentless" he said with a slight smile and a shake of his head

"You know we could have put on our yoga pants but we did actually have your feelings at bay when we got dressed this morning" Emily told him

"Really? Is that why you chose to wear a low cut tank top" he responded

"I think we are done with this conversation" Emily told the teenager

"Fine but I think you did it because you knew they would listen to you guys better today" he said looking from one mother to the other with a small smile on his face

Emily and JJ ignored their teenage son when they heard noise coming from the front door before they heard the unmistakable voice of Jack hollering through the house.

"ETHAN"

Emily and JJ both cringed as his voice pierced through the house. Not a moment later Ethan answered with a loud yell.

"KITCHEN"

"Really?" Emily questioned as she looked at her eleven year old son

He just shrugged his shoulders before Jack came bounding into the kitchen. He stopped and gave Emily and JJ both a smile.

"Hi Aunt Emily, Aunt JJ"

"Hi Jack" JJ replied with a smile of her own as she shifted Penny on her hip

"Okay, JT, does that mean the posse is here?" Emily asked, using the nickname she had given Jack when he was younger

"Yep, they sent me in to see if you guys were ready" he replied

"Okay then, lets load up" JJ shouted as she began to usher everyone out the back door

"I'm going to lock the front door and I will meet you at the car" Emily said, going in the opposite direction of everyone else

JJ nodded as she followed the last of the kids out the back door. A few minutes later Emily arrived in the driveway and saw everyone trying to pile into the vehicles. She saw that Declan and his friends were already in the suburban and had it running, music blaring out of the windows. Ethan, Jack, and Henry were climbing into Hotch's vehicle with Rossi in the passenger seat. That left Morgan, Garcia, Reid, and Penny in Morgan's truck. Once everyone was situated Emily and JJ finally strolled towards their SUV and climbed inside, JJ immediately reaching for the volume and turning it down.

"Mom" Declan practically whined

JJ and Emily both turned in their seats to look at the teenager.

"Sorry, we just want to listen to some good music. It is my birthday after all" he reminded them with a bright smile, his blue eyes shining.

Emily and JJ gave in, but insisted the volume stay at a decent level. They made it to the check in center in about forty five minutes. Everyone piled out of the vehicles, grabbing their backpacks, while the teenagers helped with the coolers. When they checked in they were told the climbing would go faster if they would split into two groups, instead of one big one. In the end they decided Hotch, Rossi, Garcia, and Reid would take the younger kids in one group, leaving Emily, JJ, and Morgan with the five teenagers. The instructors assured them that they would all finish at the same time and then they could meet up for lunch.

After filling out a bunch of paperwork the two groups finally separated, but not before Emily and JJ smothered Henry, Ethan, and Jack with several hugs and kisses, reminding them to be careful.

"Don't worry mom, this will be way easier than climbing down the side of the house with the sheets" Ethan told Emily and JJ with a smile

Emily and JJ both glared at their son before turning their glares towards Jack who was giggling. Then they both shook their heads, remembering a few months ago when Jack had spent the night and the two boys thought it would be fun to see if they could really climb out of their bedroom window with sheets. It didn't work out quite as well as they had planned. They had somehow made it down just fine, but when they were trying to come back up one of the sheets came loose and they both fell, somehow neither of them too hurt, except for some cuts and bruises, but luckily no broken bones. It was Henry who finally went and got their mother's when he heard them fall. JJ and Emily had rushed outside finding both boys standing up checking themselves out to make sure they were okay.

"That makes us feel so much better" JJ replied as she smiled at Ethan

"Whatever helps ease your worry" he replied

With that the two groups dispersed to get their climbing started. Emily, JJ, and Morgan tried to give the teenagers their space once they made it to their designated spot. They all knew it wasn't cool to have your parent's dragging along on your birthday, especially when you were sixteen. But Declan had said it was fine if everyone came along. Even in spite of that the adults felt they could try to give them as much space as they could. That was until the teenagers challenged the adults to a climbing contest.

"Oh come on, you guys are FBI Agents, are you afraid a few teenagers might beat you?" Chase teased the adults

Morgan and Emily looked at each other with an eyebrow each raised. JJ saw the looks on their faces and she knew she was doomed. Neither Morgan nor Emily were going to back down from a challenge. JJ didn't know if that was good or bad, because if the teenagers hadn't challenged them she had a feeling Emily and Morgan would be challenging each other, now they would just be egging each other on, and trash talking the teenagers, both of which they enjoyed doing.

"Uh, Chase, I don't know if you wanna do that" Declan replied

"Why not?" Ben asked as he joined in

"Well because for one thing, yes, they are FBI Agents" Declan told them

"So? Is that the only reason" Chase asked

"No. You just picked three of the most competitive people EVER. And you picked the three on their team who could seriously beat us, and then won't let us live it down" Declan informed his friends

"Yeah you guys obviously haven't been around long enough if you really think you are going to win" Morgan stated

"Yeah but you've got two girls on your team" Chase told him

Emily and JJ looked at one another before looking back at the teenage boy.

Declan slapped his face into the palm of his hand, knowing that was the exact wrong thing to say.

"That's what you think" Morgan replied with a smile

Chase and Ben looked at one another before looking back to Morgan with confusion written across their faces.

"Boys prepare to meet your worst nightmare" JJ stated, now thoroughly wanting a piece of the action

"Phssh I'm not scared" Chase said

"You should be" Emily told him with a sly smile, "We catch serial killers for a living. Do you really think we are afraid of a few teenage boys?"

"I didn't say you afraid of us, but more afraid of losing" Chase informed them

All three agents looked at each other before turning back to the teenagers with smiles on their faces.

"We'll see about that" Morgan replied before he, JJ, and Emily turned to gear up

The two groups met back up once they were finished with the rock climbing and as Emily, Morgan, and JJ led the teenagers back to the other group the adults were singing 'We are the Champions' as the teenagers followed, some with their heads hung while the others made faces behind the adults backs. Hotch and Rossi turned to see the commotion and looked at each other with smiles on their faces.

"What do you want to make a bet that those teenagers just got a run for their money?" Rossi said as he looked at Hotch

"Oh I completely agree" Hotch answered with a smile

Emily, Morgan, and JJ walked up to the others who were already unloading the coolers and spreading the food out on some picnic tables that were available.

"Did you guys have fun?" JJ asked as she looked at the adults from the other group

"Well the kids had fun. I recited statistics on how many people die from rock climbing every year and decided my feet belonged on the ground" Reid replied

JJ and Emily stared at him as Morgan broke the silence quickly, "It's better for everyone if your feet remain on the ground kid"

Everyone smiled before Hotch said, "Well the kids had fun. Jack and Ethan raced each other up the side of the cliff and Henry enjoyed himself also. We adults though decided to all keep our feet on the ground. But something tells me the three of you didn't"

Before anyone could respond Declan walked up to the adults, "Could you guys maybe give it a rest, at least on the drive home?"

"I don't know D, Uncle Derek was going to ride home with us so we could continue to rib you guys" Emily replied as she looked at her blonde son

"Mom" Declan replied in a serious tone

"I'm kidding Declan. We will not discuss on the way home about how you and your friends got beat by three adults at rock climbing, okay" she told him as she threw an arm around his neck

"Thank you" he told her

"She didn't, however, say that we would stop talking about it over lunch" Morgan jumped in with a smile as he threw his arm around Declan's neck from the other side

"You guys suck sometimes" he told them as he looked from Morgan back to Emily

"Yeah but you love us anyways" Emily said

"I know. And I am also smart enough to not eat anywhere near you guys" he replied with a smile as he ducked out from under both Emily and Morgan's embrace, turning on his heal and heading over to a picnic table far away from the adults and younger kids

Emily and Morgan both smiled and shook their heads as they turned back to the food, only to find the others watching them.

"What?" they said simultaneously

"You two are incorrigible" Rossi said with a smile

They both shrugged their shoulders as they began digging for sandwiches that looked appealing to them.

"Yeah you do realize it's your son's birthday" JJ pointed out

"Oh please you were just as bad back there" Emily said looking up at her wife

JJ was speechless when Garcia spoke up, "Maybe so my brunette beauty, but goldilocks here is right"

Emily looked at Garcia before saying, "It was just for fun Pen, Declan knows we love him, and he knows we won't say anything on the way home"

Garcia continued to look at her friend, causing Emily to speak up again, "Seriously Pen, I love that kid"

Garcia smiled as she winked, "I know that, I was just messing with you"

"Oh real funny" Emily said as she threw a sliced carrot at her bubbly friend

"It was kind of funny" Morgan said looking at Emily

Emily turned and gave him a look so he threw his hands up and stepped away, "Okay"

As they continued to fill their plates with food Henry walked over and leaned into Emily, "That was fun Mama Em, can we do it again?"

Emily wrapped her arm around the boys small shoulders as she looked down at him, "Maybe again sometime soon"

"Cool" he said with a smile before turning and walking over to JJ who was sitting down at the picnic table, "You shoulda seen me mommy, I climbed all the way to the top. I was super fast."

JJ smiled at her son, whose light brown eyes were shining, "I bet you were H, I'm glad you had fun. Have you finished eating?"

The seven year old shook his head before turning and walking to the table next to theirs and climbed back onto his seat to finish his food. JJ looked at the three boys sitting there swinging their legs and eating their food before looking down at the ground beside the table where Penny was sitting on a blanket eating some cut up food Garcia had fixed for the two year old. Emily claimed a seat next to JJ and saw the blonde watching their daughter. She smiled as she placed her left hand on JJ's thigh and gave it a light squeeze. JJ turned and met Emily's eyes, noticing her smile.

"What?" JJ asked

"Nothing. I was just watching you. What were you thinking about?" Emily asked as she looked into blue eyes

"Just about how lucky we are and how happy I am" JJ told the brunette with a smile

"I'm pretty happy myself and most of that has to do with you Jennifer Jareau"

"Oh yeah?"

Emily nodded before leaning towards JJ and placing a light kiss to her lips before pulling away when Garcia squealed. Both women turned to look across the table at Garcia who had a smile plastered on her face.

"Really Garcia?" JJ asked

"I'm sorry, you two are just so damn cute" she told them

They both laughed before Emily pointed out, "Yeah but you do realize we have been together for four years now, right?"

"I know, but it just makes me so happy that you guys are so happy. I love you both so much" she told them honesty

"We know Pen" Emily said with a smile

Everyone finally finished their lunch so the adults began packing up the remaining food in the coolers while the kids ran around and played. Once everything was packed they started loading all of their gear and the coolers into the vehicles. Then they began piling into the vehicles to begin their trek back home.

They arrived back at the Prentiss-Jareau household about an hour later. Everyone began unloading the coolers and the stuff that needed to stay. Once that was complete Hotch and the others said their goodbyes saying they would see everyone the next day for Declan's birthday dinner. Soon it was just Emily and JJ left with eight kids, since Declan's friends were staying until after dinner.

All of the teenagers were currently outside shooting hoops, while Henry and Ethan were in the living room playing with Penny. Emily and JJ sat down at the island to take a moment to relax.

"I can't believe we are going to have to feed five teenage boys" JJ said

"I say we just order pizza. It's easier than cooking." Emily suggested

"I am completely okay with that. Even if we are going to have to pay a large sum of money for it" JJ said

Emily smiled as she got up and walked over to grab two wine glasses, before pulling out a bottle of red wine. She held up the bottle and the two glasses with a smile as she looked at the blonde.

"Have I told you how much I love you" JJ said with a smile

"Mmm, that's only because I know how to keep you satisfied" Emily replied as she sat the two glasses on the island and began to pour JJ a glass of wine

"You have no idea how true that is" JJ said as Emily looked at her just in time to see the blonde wink at her

"Behave yourself we have a house full of kids, specifically teenage boys" Emily told her wife with a smile

JJ gave Emily a pouty look and Emily couldn't help but laugh, "That's so mature Jayje, I'm pretty sure that is the exact same look Henry gave me a couple of days ago when I told him he couldn't play any video games"

"Like mother like son" JJ replied as she took a sip of wine

"So true" Emily replied as she raised her own glass to her lips

Once dinner was over and the boys had managed to eat every last bite of pizza, Emily ushered all five of them to the car so she could take them all home, while JJ stayed at home with the other kids. After dropping off Tanner, that left only Mike and Declan in the car.

"Mom can Mike stay over tonight?" Declan asked

Emily looked in the rear view mirror to look at her son and she couldn't help but smile.

"If it's okay with his parents"

"Sweet"

"Does that mean he's already asked them?" Emily questioned with a raised eyebrow

Declan smiled as he looked at his mother's reflection in the mirror, "Yeah"

Emily nodded, "That's what I thought. Okay, but Mike," she said moving her eyes to meet those of the thin curly haired teenager, "Are your parent's going to be around right after lunch? Because I'm going to have to drop you off, or have them pick you up around that time because I have to start getting stuff ready for our dinner that night"

"Yes ma'am. I can call my mom when we get back to your house and ask her to pick me up right after lunch" Mike answered

"I'd appreciate that" Emily told him before turning her attention back to the road as she headed back to their house

As they pulled into the driveway and Emily turned off the engine Declan spoke up again, "Mom"

This time Emily turned in her seat so that she could look into the back seat at both Declan and Mike, "Yes"

"Would it be possible for Mike to stay for my family party tomorrow night?" Declan asked timidly

Emily was slightly shocked, not that Mike hadn't spent several holidays with them, but she was at a loss for words.

When Emily didn't speak up Declan broke the silence as he reached for the door handle, "Never mind"

"No, Declan, wait" Emily said quickly as she reached her arm to the back seat and placed it on his thigh, "I'm sorry, you just caught me off guard. If you want Mike to stay for your dinner party tomorrow night that's fine."

"No it's okay, it's for family" Declan replied

"You're right Declan, it is for family" Emily said as she looked at her son before moving her eyes to look at Mike, "But Mike is part of this family. He has been since you brought him home from school when you were twelve"

Emily smiled at both boys and got returning smiles from both of them.

"Thanks Mom" Declan said with a smile as he leaned forward and planted a kiss on Emily's cheek

"Yeah thanks Agent Prentiss" Mike added as he leaned forward and placed a kiss on her cheek as well

Emily smiled widely at the teenage boys as they scooted across the back seat towards the door. But just as Declan was about to open the door Mike spoke up again.

"And by the way Agent Prentiss I always think you are like totally hot, but when you smile like that your more than hot, your beautiful" he said with a smile as Declan finally got the door open

"Dude" Declan said as he looked behind him at his friend who just shrugged his shoulders

"You two get inside before I change my mind" Emily said as she rolled her eyes and fought back a laugh

She opened her own door after the boys were walking up the sidewalk and she could hear Declan telling Mike not to talk about his mother's like that. Emily laughed to herself as she sat in the front seat of the suburban a few minutes longer before grabbing her purse and stepping out of the vehicle.

Once she made it inside she found JJ and the younger boys in front of the tv. She walked over and plopped unceremoniously down next to JJ on the couch. As she looked in front of her on the coffee table she noticed two glasses of wine. She leaned forward and picked up one glass turning to smile at JJ.

"Did I mention you're my hero?" she questioned

"Not lately" answered JJ as she reached forward and picked up her own glass, bringing it to her mouth

"Well you, sweetheart, are my hero" Emily stated

JJ nodded before looking towards the stairs and then back to Emily, "So I see you came home with two boys instead of just one"

Emily nodded as she swallowed a sip of the wine before saying, "Declan wanted Mike to spend the night and stay for his birthday dinner tomorrow"

"And you just couldn't say no to those two, could you" JJ said with a crooked smile and raised eyebrow

"Well you should have seen the looks they were giving me. And it is Declan's birthday after all"

"Of course. So this has nothing to do with the fact that Mike might have batted his baby blue eyes at you and given you that lopsided smile of his, huh?"

"I have no idea what you are talking about JJ" Emily said as she turned her attention to the television

"Right. Just like you have no idea that he is totally infatuated with you" JJ pointed out with a devious smile

"Oh come one JJ, it's just a little crush, he'll grow out of it" Emily stated

"Right, somehow I doubt that, especially since he's been infatuated with you from the moment he met you when he was barely thirteen"

"Will you quit using the word infatuated" Emily said as she looked at her wife

"Fine, I'm just saying" JJ replied with another devious smile before taking a sip of her wine

Emily shook her head before turning her attention back to the television.

A couple of hours later everyone was getting ready for bed because of the big day they were all going to have the next day. What the two women didn't know was that there was a car parked across the street housing a man who had been watching them almost the entire evening. And that he and his partners had been taking turns watching the entire FBI family for the past three weeks. The man smiled as he watched the lights go out one by one downstairs, before the same thing happened upstairs.

The next morning JJ was up making breakfast downstairs while Henry and Penny played in the living room and the rest of the household slept. JJ got both Henry and Penny some breakfast and sat down to eat with them. She smiled at her son as he told her a story about Batman and how he was going to be just like him someday. She reached over and ran her fingers through his soft, sandy blonde hair as she listened to him. Once they were finished JJ picked up Penny and headed upstairs, entering her bedroom quietly, seeing Emily sleeping on her stomach her head facing JJ's direction. JJ smiled at her wife before walking up to the bed.

"Mama" Penny said as she turned to look at Emily

"Yeah baby. Why don't you go give mama a kiss" JJ said as she placed the two year old on the king size bed and smiled as the blonde toddler stumbled across the bed before landing next to Emily

Penny bent down and patted Emily on the face, slightly harder than needed, before kissing her with a lips smacking kiss. JJ giggled at the toddler before noticing Emily shifting and slowly opening her eyes. As the brunette's eyes came into contact with the toddler she couldn't help but smile. She closed her eyes again, briefly before opening them back up and finally speaking up.

"Morning sunshine" Emily said to their daughter

"Mornin mama" the blonde toddler replied with a smile

Emily turned onto her right side before reaching out and pulling the little girl in for a tight hug before attacking the toddler's face and neck with loud noisy kisses and pretending to nibble on the child, causing Penny to laugh hysterically.

JJ climbed onto the bed to join her daughter and wife when Emily's eyes finally met JJ's, "Good morning beautiful"

"Morning yourself" JJ replied with a smile before leaning down to capture Emily's lips in tender, yet meaningful kiss

Emily let out a small moan at the loss of contact which earned JJ a smile.

"How long have you been up?" Emily asked as she slowly sat up halfway and leaned against the headboard, Penny sitting on her stomach

"Mmmm about an hour and a half or so" the blonde answered as she sat Indian style facing her wife

"You should have woken me" Emily told the blonde

"It's fine Em, you needed the sleep, besides I know you aren't much of a morning person until you've either slept in or gone for a run, but since we went to bed late I figured you weren't going to get up and go running"

"You know me so well" Emily told her with a smile

JJ nodded as she tilted her head to the side. A moment later Henry came bounding into the room and jumped up onto the bed.

"Morning mama Em" he said with a smile as he slid up to her on his stomach before kissing her on the cheek and then laying back on the bed

"Good morning my handsome H" Emily replied as she and JJ smiled at the seven year old

JJ then patted his bottom lovingly which caused him to squeal before rolling onto his back, his feet landing in JJ's lap. She widened her eyes at him before grabbing his ankles smiling widely. Henry's eyes grew wide, knowing what was about to happen.

"No mama" he said with a laugh as he tried to pull away.

He wasn't quick enough and JJ had pulled him by his ankles until his bottom landed almost in her lap, then she bent down, lifting his shirt and blowing popping noises onto his belly which just made him laugh harder. When he began gasping for air she finally relenting as she pulled him up by his arms so that she could hug him tightly to her.

"Sheesh mama" he replied as he returned the hug before falling out of her arms and back onto the bed and rolling away from her slightly

Later in the day everyone was helping get things set up for the birthday dinner that was taking place that evening. Declan and Mike got the barbecue pit out and rolled it across the back deck to a decent spot before going to play some basketball on the back part of the driveway. JJ looked out the back door at the two teenagers and couldn't help but smile. Declan was wearing khaki shorts that hung just past his knees, along with a light blue polo shirt with a white long sleeve shirt underneath it, and to top it all off his royal blue and white dc skateboarding shoes. Meanwhile Mike was wearing a grey polo shirt with khaki shorts and his black high top converse shoes.

As she turned around she saw Henry come around the corner wearing a pair of grey cargo shorts with a pale yellow polo shirt, with a grey long sleeve shirt underneath it, and his black and grey high top converse shoes, along with his black baseball cap which was turned backwards. Not two seconds later Ethan came around the corner also and JJ rolled her eyes at the eleven year old. He was wearing grey cargo shorts like Henry's, except Ethan was wearing a black long sleeve button up shirt with the sleeves rolled up to the elbows, and he had on a grey tie that hung loosely around his neck, his top button of his shirt undone. He topped off his outfit with a black fedora hat on his head and his black converse high tops, with his shoelaces hanging on the ground.

"Ethan" JJ said trying to get the boy's attention

"Huh" Ethan replied looking up at JJ

"You think you could maybe tie your shoes?" she questioned as she looked down at his shoes

Ethan looked down at his feet before looking back up at his blonde mother with a smile on his face, "But it takes away the effect"

JJ cocked her head to the side with her lips in a straight line, "Well then you will be buying yourself a new pair of laces, I'm pretty sure we've already bought you two new sets this year, and now I know why"

Ethan sighed, "Okay fine" before kneeling down and tying the shoes loosely at the bottom so that the tongue still flapped around.

Around three in the afternoon everyone began arriving with different dishes of food. The kids all went outside to shoot some baskets, leaving the adults inside to finish putting everything together.

JJ laughed when Jack showed up with khaki shorts and a blue t-shirt with a soccer ball on the front. He and Ethan were quite different when it came to clothes and a few other things, but they were still best friends.

Morgan passed out beers to everyone before plopping down on one of the stools at the island and began digging in to some chips and dip. Emily turned to Morgan and rolled her eyes before she walked up next to him.

"Hey can I borrow you for a sec?" she asked him

"Anytime" he answered as he stuffed one last chip in his mouth before grabbing his beer and following her out of the kitchen, through the living room, and out the front door.

"Where are you taking me?" he asked as they stopped on the front porch

Emily looked around for anyone who might be eavesdropping and when she didn't see anyone she spoke up, "I need you to take me somewhere real quick"

"Why me?"

"Because it's a surprise for Declan that JJ doesn't know about and she is most likely going to kill me as soon as I bring it back here. But I would rather die then rather than before I make it back here"

"You do realize that by me helping you with your little secret that she is going to kill me too" stated Morgan

Emily shrugged her shoulders, "You always said you wanted to go out in style and believe me, this gift is pretty awesome"

Morgan smiled, "Well I'm sure everyone will assume I had something to do with it anyways then if it's that awesome. We are usually the ones who get into trouble the most. So okay."

Emily smiled her huge smile, "Thanks"

Morgan nodded as he took one last sip of his beer before setting it down on a table on the front porch and pulling out the keys to his car.

"Ready?" he asked as he dangled them in front of her

"You bet" she answered as she followed him down the steps and across the yard where his truck was waiting.

As she climbed inside she saw Ethan and Jack coming running towards them, she cursed to herself as they made it up to the truck.

"Hey where are you guys going?" Ethan asked as his hands gripped onto the door of the truck where Emily's window was rolled down

"We have to run an errand real quick but we'll be right back" she told her son with a smile

"Can we come" Jack asked as he stood next to Ethan

"Not this time kid. If anyone asks just tell them we will return shortly okay" she told them as she ruffled Jack's short light brown hair

Jack shook free with a smile as he and Ethan stepped back away from the truck.

"Okay" Ethan answered as he waved goodbye before watching his mom and uncle pull away from the curb

Nobody noticed the car parked in the driveway across the street with a man who was watching the interchange between the two agents, as well as the two boys who ran up to the truck.

Emily gave Morgan directions and when she finally pointed out where to turn in Morgan's jaw dropped. After he had parked the truck he turned and stared at his friend and partner.

"Seriously?" he asked

"I just rented one for the afternoon, I didn't buy one, okay" she told him as she undid her seatbelt and stepped out of the truck

Morgan hopped out of the truck after her and jogged around to catch up with her, "Wow JJ is seriously going to kill you"

Emily turned and glared at Morgan right before a salesman came up to greet them, "Hi my name is David how can I help you?"

Emily turned her attention to David, "I'm here to pick up a bike I rented"

"Okay right this way" the man said as he turned and began walking the opposite direction, "Did you already sign everything?"

"Yes a couple of days ago" she answered with a smile

"Alright then can I get your name and I'll go find the bike"

"Emily Prentiss and it should be a blue and white Yamaha R1" she told the guy

The man smiled, "It's always nice when a woman knows her bikes"

"Yeah, yeah, could you just get us the bike" Morgan said as he stepped up next to Emily

David nodded before turning and heading inside. Emily shook her head before turning to Morgan.

"Really, must you always do that?" she asked as she punched him in the arm

Morgan shrugged his shoulders as they began to walk around looking at some of the bikes chained up outside. As they made small talk David finally came from around back rolling a motorcycle towards them.

"Here you go. Looks like you have it rented for three hours. So it will be due back by seven tonight" he informed Emily

Emily nodded as the man handed her two helmets, "Have fun"

"I will" she smiled at David before he turned and walked away

Morgan was running his hand down the side of the bike, his jaw practically hanging open and Emily couldn't help but laugh.

"I think you're drooling"

"What, no I'm not" he said as he looked up at her, "Okay maybe a little, but this bike is a beauty"

"I know" Emily replied as ran her hand across the handlebars

Morgan turned to look back at Emily, "You know you are like the coolest mom ever"

Emily shrugged nonchalantly, "Yeah it was fun while it lasted"

Morgan looked at her before she added, "Well we both know that JJ is seriously going to kill me"

"Maybe not, maybe she will surprise you. Hell maybe she even knows how to drive one"

Emily just stared at him and they both smiled.

"Okay let's get back I'm wasting money here" Emily said as she handed Morgan the other helmet, "I'll meet you at home"

Morgan pulled up to the curb in front of Emily and JJ's house first and cursed under his breath when he saw JJ and Garcia sitting on the front porch swing. Moments later Emily drove up onto the sidewalk on the motorcycle and Morgan watched as JJ and Garcia stood up and came down the steps. He stepped out of the truck, grabbing the extra helmet before walking around the truck just as Emily took her helmet off.

"What the hell is this?" JJ asked as she walked up to Emily

"Look I didn't buy it JJ, I swear. I just rented it for a couple of hours" Emily answered as she stepped off of the bike and kicked the kickstand down before turning and setting her helmet on the seat

"For what?" JJ asked, her hands on her hips

"Declan's birthday. You know how much he wanted to learn how to ride, not that he can learn in less than two hours, but at least he will get to ride it" Emily rambled

"No he won't" JJ said shaking her head, "My son is not getting on that thing"

"JJ don't be unreasonable, it's his sixteenth birthday" Emily reminded her

"I know that. And I love him, and you, and I want both of you to live to see tomorrow" JJ told her

"Yeah Emily do you know how many people are killed or injured in motorcycle related crashes every year" Garcia piped up, obviously as angry as JJ

"Are you impersonating Reid?" Emily questioned with a smile

"This isn't funny Emily Prentiss" the bubbly blonde stated

"You should have consulted with me Emily. He's my son too" JJ said, the sadness evident in her voice

"I know, and JJ, I'm sorry, but I was just afraid that you would say no" Emily responded as she took a step closer to JJ

JJ however took a step backwards and held up one of her hands, "Emily I am really mad right now, but I am going to put it away for later because it is our son's birthday and I want it to be a happy day for him"

Emily frowned, "So I'm guessing I need to make this disappear before he sees it?"

JJ dropped her hand and shrugged but just then they heard the front door slam and kids yelling. Emily flinched when she saw Declan, Mike, Ethan, Jack, and Henry come running out of the house towards the bike.

"Oh my gosh this is totally wicked" Ethan shouted as he ran up next to Mike

"Yeah mom, when did you get a bike?" Declan asked as he looked from it to Emily

"I didn't. I just rented it for a couple of hours" she answered

"Cool" Jack said as he stood next to Declan

"Your mother rented it for your birthday. She knew you always wanted to ride one, so now you get the chance" JJ said with a forced smile as she looked at Declan

Emily froze as she looked at JJ.

"Really?" Declan questioned as he turned from JJ to Emily

"What? Yes" Emily fumbled for words as she looked at her teenage son

By this time all of the adults had filed outside and were standing around as well, as Rossi held Penny in his arms.

"Dude, your mom is so hot" Mike stated as he stared at Emily with a lopsided smile

"Dude" Declan said turning to glare at his friend

Emily rolled her eyes as she reached over and took the other helmet from Morgan, turning around and handing it to Declan, "So you want to go for a ride kid or what?"

He reached out and took the helmet, "Totally" he smiled as he pulled it down over his head while Emily did the same.

Then she swung her leg over the bike and sat down waiting for Declan to follow suit. He climbed on behind her as Emily started the bike. Everyone stepped aside as she started the bike before cranking the engine and taking off on the sidewalk before going down the neighbor's driveway into the street.

"I can't believe you let her take him for a ride" Garcia said as she looked at JJ flabbergasted

JJ turned to Garcia and sighed, "Garcia she's right it is his birthday and the bike was here. Besides, I trust her"

"Yeah well me too, I just don't trust other people" Garcia pointed out, "Five minutes ago you were thinking the same thing"

JJ shrugged her shoulders, "Yeah but I was also too angry to remember that we always said we would never treat our kids as potential victims. It's not fair for them to be punished for things just because we know what the world is really like out there. We can't put them in a box forever"

"Yeah but-"

"Don't worry Garcia my heart is still racing and will be until they pull back up in this driveway" JJ said as she turned to her friend

"I think you just gave in because Emily on a bike, and knowing how to ride a bike, is TOTALLY sexy" Garcia said as she turned to JJ

"Maybe" JJ smiled as she looked at her friend

"Can I go next mom?" Ethan asked as he walked over to JJ

"I wanna go too" Henry piped up

"Me too" added Jack

"Guys its Declan's birthday and we only have the bike for a little while" she said as she looked at the boys

They all made their best pouty faces and JJ rolled her eyes and shook her head, "It's up to Declan, okay"

"Fine" they mumbled before they turned and walked back into the front yard

JJ turned and saw the boys grab a football and start to toss it around with Reid and Hotch so she took that opportunity to walk up to Morgan before he could escape.

"Hold it right there stud" JJ said

Morgan halted as he turned to look at JJ, and Garcia who had come to stand next to her.

"Look JJ I swear I didn't know anything about the bike until we got there, okay" he said holding up his hands

JJ glared at him trying to figure out if he was telling the truth or not.

"Not that I wouldn't have helped her out if I did know" he confessed

"Oh fine, your just lucky that I do think it's totally hot that she knows how to ride" JJ said smiling

A little while later Emily came back down the street and pulled into the driveway. Declan hopped off and pulled his helmet off of his head, a smile plastered across his face.

"That was insanely awesome" he said excitedly

Everyone had walked back over to them by this time and Ethan spoke up quickly, "Can I go for a ride D?"

Declan looked at his little brother and smiled, "Sure E, if mom says it's okay"

Ethan turned to JJ and looked at her with sad puppy eyes and she couldn't bring herself to tell him no, "Fine, but only a short ride, okay"

Emily and Ethan both nodded as Ethan pulled the helmet on before climbing onto the bike, his feet dangling of the ground as he got situated.

"Ready little man" Emily hollered

Ethan gave a thumbs up before reattaching himself to his mother before she took off again to drive around the block. Once Emily made it back with Ethan JJ relented, as did Hotch, and let the rest of the kids go for a ride also. Eventually everyone, including all of the adults, minus Rossi and Reid went for a ride as well. Once that was finished Emily took Declan for another ride and showed him the different gears, letting him give it a try a few times. After a few tries he began to get the hang of it, but soon it was time to return the bike.

"Maybe we can do it again sometime kid" Emily said as Declan climbed off of the bike

"I'd like that" he replied as he handed her the helmet

JJ and Morgan both walked down the drive towards them and JJ patted Declan on the back as she stopped to stand next to him.

"Thanks again. You guys are totally awesome" Declan said looking form Emily to JJ with a wide smile

"We know" JJ replied with a smile of her own

"So when are we going to eat? I'm starving" he stated, and as if on cue his stomach growled loudly

All three adults laughed before JJ said, "Why don't you go ask Hotch to start the grill. We should be back shortly"

Declan nodded before turning and walking back up the drive, meeting Mike halfway. JJ turned back to face Emily who had a questioning look on her face.

"We?" Emily said

JJ crossed her arms and smiled slightly at her wife, "Yes we. You didn't think I was going to let you take this back without giving me a ride, did you?"

"But…you said" Emily began as she looked from the blonde to Morgan with a confused look on her face, "I'm so confused"

JJ turned to Morgan, "Could you please meet us at the bike shop to bring us back here?"

"Of course" he answered as he took his keys out of his pocket before turning and winking at Emily as he walked to his truck

Once he was out of earshot JJ walked up to Emily who was still straddling the bike. She then stepped over Emily's right leg so that she was straddling it before leaning in close to the brunette. Emily swallowed hard, not knowing if JJ was about to be incredibly angry with her or was about to make out with her.

"I can't resist going for a ride on this bike with you. You on a bike is just too incredibly sexy" JJ said to Emily

JJ took the helmet out of Emily's hands, but before she put it on her head she added, "The only thing that could make this scenario any hotter is if you were wearing leather…AND we had time to totally make out on the bike before it had to be returned"

Emily blushed not only at what JJ had said, but how she had said it, using her low bedroom voice. She couldn't take it so she hung her own helmet on the handlebars before grabbing JJ around the waist and pulling her in for a heated kiss. JJ returned the kiss with a smile as she wrapped her arms around Emily's neck as she held onto the helmet in her hands. Morgan was still sitting in his truck and rolled his eyes and smiled at his two friends before honking his horn, causing both women to jump before turning to him with a glare.

"Come one ladies, you do have neighbors and that bike is due in like fifteen minutes" he shouted out the window

"Yeah yeah we're coming" JJ shouted back as she pulled away from Emily and put her helmet on, Emily following suit

JJ then climbed onto the back of the bike, wrapping her arms around the brunettes waist and scooting up behind her as close as she could. She let her hands slide down to Emily's hips where she slid them up under her wife's shirt to trace circles on her hipbones. Emily immediately grabbed the blonde's hands to pull them out and place them higher up on her waist.

"If you don't want me to wreck this bike I highly recommend you not do that" Emily said as she turned to face the blonde

JJ smiled seductively before nodding. She wrapped her arms back around Emily's waist before clenching her thighs against Emily's, earning a slight moan and another glare from the brunette.

"What?" JJ asked innocently, "You don't want me to fall off do you?"

Emily slanted her eyes at the blonde before starting the bike and taking off out of the driveway. When they finally made it back Hotch was just pulling the burgers off of the grill. The three adults walked out back all grabbing a beer before heading to the long picnic table that was in the yard. They all sat down and began making small talk as they ate their dinner.

Once that was over Mike and Declan challenged Emily and Morgan to a game of basketball, while some of the others cleaned up the food. Once it started getting dark out they began to move inside a few at a time. As soon as everyone was inside Garcia made an announcement.

"Okay guys I have a little present for Declan" she said getting everyone's attention

"Garcia you didn't-" JJ began

"Don't even finish that Jayje. This is technically for all three of you" she stated watching as her friends looked at each other

Garcia pulled out what appeared to be a photo album, "I know you guys have always said that you wished you had pictures of Declan when he was young and I know Declan always secretly wished there pictures of him when he was younger hanging up around here. So I did some digging and finally found where Louise had stashed some pictures. Anyways I copied some of them and then I took some of his older pictures and used a program on my computer to change the image to what he would look like if he were little"

Emily and JJ both stared at their friend as Garcia held the photo album out to them. Once JJ accepted it Garcia then took out a disc and walked over to the dvd player, popping in the disc and turning on the tv.

"I also made a little slideshow" she said

Everyone turned towards the television as a picture of a baby suddenly appeared on the screen. The next picture that appeared was of a baby boy appearing to be about one year old, with unmistakable cerulean colored eyes and curly bleach blonde hair. Everyone stood and watched as the pictures changed, each picture showing Declan a year older, until finally it stopped with a picture of him in his lacrosse uniform from this year. As it shut off Garcia turned around and saw tears in both of her friend's eyes.

"I didn't mean to-" she began but was cut off by JJ flying towards her and wrapping her up in a hug, followed by Emily

"Thank you" they both said as they hugged their friend

As they pulled away Declan had moved to stand next to them and once his mothers stepped away he wrapped his arms around the eclectic blonde.

"Thanks Garcia" he said sincerely before pulling away

Garcia smiled widely as she looked from the teenage boy to his two mothers whom she loved so much.

Finally Emily broke the emotional moment in the room, "Okay so who's ready for some cake"

JJ clenched her jaw in a lopsided smile as she shook her head at her wife while listening to all of the kids speak up about wanting cake.

Once the cake was eaten the adults sat around to talk while the kids branched off in different directions. Before anyone knew it, it was nearly 10pm. Everyone started cleaning up stuff before the kids were gathered around for goodbyes. Hotch, Jack, and Rossi all left at the same time. A little while later Garcia, Morgan, and Reid said their goodbyes and Morgan offered to drop Mike off at his house on the way home. Emily and JJ agreed thankfully as they said their goodbyes.

About an hour later all of the younger kids were in bed, leaving only Declan still awake. Emily and JJ stopped at his room to tell him goodnight. He stood up off of his new bed and walked over to both of them hugging each of them separately and tightly, lifting them off of the ground slightly for effect.

"Thank you both so much. This weekend was awesome. All of it" he told them sincerely, "I don't know where I would be right now if you hadn't taken me in. I don't know who I'd be."

"Hey" JJ said as she looked into his crystal blue eyes, "You would still be the amazing young man that you are, with a kind heart and a good sense of humor"

Declan smiled at her and nodded lightly, "I guess"

"She's right D, you've always had a good head on your shoulders. We are so proud of the man that you are becoming and we couldn't ask for anything more" Emily added

He continued to smile as he looked from his blonde mother to his brunette mother, "I love you guys so much"

"We love you too Declan" JJ told him

"So much" Emily added with a smile

He nodded as he shuffled his feet nervously looking down at the floor. Emily and JJ then pulled him in for one more group hug before they said their goodnights.

A/N: So that was the last chapter of family fluff. The suspense and revenge will begin in the next chapter…hopefully!


	8. Chapter 7

A/N: Okay guys, here is where the revenge really begins. And no I'm not sure how many chapters this part of the story will take. I had an idea and didn't write it down and now I can't remember what I had planned so I am winging this…Oh and HAPPY NEW YEAR! Oh yeah and one final thing. I ended up changing a couple of the birth dates of the kids around. I don't think you will be able to tell because it wasn't drastic. The biggest difference is probably that I am making Penny a pretty recently turned two year old, whereas before I was going to have her turning three soon. I realized, however, that I wanted JJ and Emily to have spent more time with each other and the boys before they decided to add another one to their brood! Enjoy this chapter!

Ch 7

Emily and JJ were supposed to be leaving in three days to take the kids to Virginia Beach where they had rented a house for ten days. The boys were beyond excited and the two women were having a difficult time controlling them and keeping them calm.

When the two women walked through their front door after work they were greeted with kids screaming upstairs and downstairs. Both women flinched as they looked at each other before they saw Henry come running around the corner in only his underwear and covered in some kind of goo. As he rounded the corner and saw his mothers he smiled widely, before Garcia came running around the corner after the seven year old. Her hair was a mess and when she saw JJ and Emily she stopped in her tracks.

"I can explain" she blurted out

But just as she said that Henry ran and leaped into Emily's arms, the brunette barely catching him and regretting it as she did. Once his body connected with hers she could smell the honey and chocolate syrup that was coating most of his body and she could see that he was still eating something. Emily pried him loose and held him slightly away from her.

"What in the world have you done to my son?" Emily asked as she continued to hold the seven year old out in front of her

"Well I just told them to go outside and keep themselves entertained-"

Garcia was cut off by yelling upstairs just before Ethan and Jack rounded the top of the stairs. JJ watched in horror as Ethan held out what appeared to be a boogie board before jumping head first for the stairs. Jack followed except he jumped onto the banister with a towel, straddling the banister, and riding down face first. Ethan whooped loudly as he rode roughly down the stairs on the boogie board, before landing practically at his mother's feet.

JJ held her hand over her heart as Ethan came to stop at her feet, before Jack flew off the banister laughing. As both boys looked up they were met with furious eyes from both Emily and JJ. As the two women took in the two boys they noticed they were wearing only a pair of shorts and were covered in sticky goo as well.

"And I can only control one kid at a time" Garcia apologized as she looked with a frightened face at her two friends.

"What the hell do you two think you are doing?" Emily said in an angry tone as she set Henry down and placed her hands on her hips, JJ mirroring her

Ethan and Jack shrugged their shoulders but didn't answer.

"Do you have any idea how badly you guys could have hurt yourself?" the brunette continued

"Mom we were fine, it wasn't the first time we had done it, golly" Ethan replied, which earned him an elbow in the ribs from Jack

This just caused Emily to narrow her eyes at her eleven year old son as she continued to glare at him, "And just how many times have you two done this?"

Both boys looked down at the floor before Henry broke the silence, "I did it too mama, it was fun"

Emily looked from the two eleven year olds before looking at her seven year old, "You let Henry take part in this?"

Ethan remained quiet so Emily spoke up again, "Ethan Tyler Prentiss you better answer my question"

"Emily, honey, maybe we should calm down a little" JJ said, noticing that Emily was slowly losing control of her temper

Emily turned to stare at JJ, "Did you not hear him? Your seven year old son has been doing…that" she said as she motioned with her hand to the stairs

JJ smiled slightly earning a glare from Emily, "What do you think is so funny?"

"Nothing" JJ said wiping the smile off of her face, "It's just…your son is exactly like you…taking unnecessary risks"

Emily opened her mouth to reply, but she had nothing, JJ was right, the two brunettes were two peas in a pod. Emily took unnecessary risks all of the time, not just with her job and it was one thing that bugged the crap out of JJ.

This time JJ turned to look at the three boys, "Okay let me ask you guys this. What exactly is all over you and why is it all over you?"

Before they could answer Declan and Mike came running through the back door, slamming it shut. As they ran through the living room, Declan slipped and flew up in the air, before landing on his back. Mike stood behind him and laughed as Declan lay on the floor. Emily and JJ rolled their eyes as they noticed the two teenagers in only a pair of shorts, covered in the same goo as the other three boys.

"Okay what in God's name has been going on here?" JJ said loudly

"And where is our daughter?" Emily added as she looked around

Garcia snuck out of the room before coming around the corner with Penny in her arms. As Emily took in her two year old daughter she saw that she was only in a diaper and that her hair appeared to be covered in sticky goo.

Emily took the blonde toddler from Garcia and the little girl smiled brightly up at Emily, "Hi Mama"

Emily smiled as she kissed the toddlers cheek, "Hi baby"

As Emily pulled away and licked her lips she turned to look at the three boys in front of her, "Well I definitely taste strawberry jam on your sister"

By this time Declan had gotten up off of the floor as he and Mike attempted to sneak out of the living room.

"Hold it" JJ said loudly causing both teenagers to stop in their tracks

As the two boys turned and made eye contact with JJ she narrowed her lips before pointing at them, "You two front and center…now" she said as she pointed from them to the area in front of her and Emily

Declan and Mike moved slowly with their heads down as they came to stand next to Jack. Now that the five boys were lined up in front of them the questions began.

"Again, what in the world is all over you guys?" JJ asked

"A little bit of everything" Declan answered as he looked up at his blonde mother

"Like what?" Emily questioned

"If I may" Garcia said speaking up

Emily and JJ turned to look at their friend.

"I'm pretty sure anything and everything you can imagine has somehow erupted on them" she said with a nervous laugh

"Why?" Emily asked

"We were bored and she told us to go outside and entertain ourselves" Ethan said

"Dude it was your fault she sent us outside" Declan said

"Nuh uh"

"Uh huh" Henry piped, "You dropped jam all over Penny's head"

"Yeah well you tried to turn her into the strawberry monster. You added more jam and smeared her face with it" Ethan said back to Henry

"You let me" Henry shouted back as he still attempted to chew some food in his mouth

Emily and JJ were overwhelmed with what was happening at the moment. Emily did the only thing she could think of. She handed Penny over to JJ before sticking her fingers in her mouth and whistling loudly causing everyone to cover their ears with their hands.

"Enough with the fighting" Emily said holding her hands up, "We asked you what you were covered in and why. Now spit it out"

Henry took that literally and spit out what little piece of peanut butter sandwich he had in his mouth. As he did Emily bit her lip and closed her eyes, fighting back the urge to smile. She shook her head before she opened her eyes back up and looked down at the sandy-blonde haired seven year old.

"H I didn't mean spit out your food, sweetie, I meant tell me what you guys were up to" Emily said calmly

"Oh…oops" he smiled as stepped forward to pick up the food on the floor

Emily reached out and stopped him before he could pick it up, "No no, just leave it, we will pick it up later"

Henry shrugged his shoulders as he stepped back to stand next to Ethan.

"Is anyone going to speak up?" JJ questioned as she shifted Penny on her hip

Declan finally spoke up, "Fine it started out harmless. Pen sent us outside so that she could clean up Penny, and Mike and I thought it would be fun to make a slip n slide, so we found that old tarp in the garage and set it up in the yard. Then we got some water and put it on there. Well then those three came outside with water balloons and Ethan got the idea to put some honey and chocolate syrup and whipped cream in some. So we snuck inside and got the ingredients we needed to create our own surprise balloons"

Emily and JJ just stared at the teenager before they looked at each other and then just busted out laughing. The boys all looked at each other and shuffled their feet nervously as they watched their mothers.

Garcia stared at her two friends as well, not sure if they were still angry.

"You guys want to show us this make shift slip n slide?" Emily asked as she looked at the boys

The boys looked at each other before Ethan shrugged and then stepped forward as he led the way back through the living room and kitchen before going out the back door. Emily and JJ took in the yard that was now covered with popped balloon pieces. As everyone stood on the back deck Emily then looked at the tarp before looking back at the boys.

"Well how did it work?" she asked

"Seriously?" Declan asked as he looked at his brunette mother

She nodded so the teenager shrugged, "Well not as good as I thought it would"

"Yeah Henry was the only one who could slide really far" Ethan pointed out

"Mmmhmm" Emily replied before turning and going inside

"Where is she going?" Mike asked

"I have no idea" Declan answered

"Is this good or bad?" Jack asked as he looked at Ethan

Ethan shrugged his shoulders just before Emily came back out with two bottles of liquid detergent. The boys jaws all dropped as they watched her walked down the couple of steps through the grass to the tarp. Then she began to pour the detergents over the tarp. Once she was finished she tossed the bottles to the side and turned around to look at her family.

"Well is anyone going to try it?" she asked

The boys all looked at each other, not sure what they were supposed to do. JJ rolled her eyes as she handed Penny back to Garcia. She headed down the couple of steps and stood with her hands on her hips.

"Emily Prentiss what are you doing?" she asked as she raised her eyebrows at the brunette

"Apparently showing them how it is really done" she answered before turning and heading over to stand next to the tarp

JJ watched and knew what was about to happen, "Emily"

But it was too late. Emily took off in a run before jumping and sliding on her stomach across the tarp. Everyone watched as she slid all the way across and into the grass. As she got up she had a huge smile plastered on her face and this caused all of the boys to start laughing. Ethan was the first one who ran off of the deck, jumping down the three stairs and running to the tarp and sliding across on his back. Next was Henry, who actually slipped and slid across on his bottom. Jack took off and ran jumping onto the tarp and sliding on his stomach across it. Lastly were the two teenage boys who raced each other to the tarp before Declan hit the tarp and slid across on his feet and Mike who plowed across it on his side. JJ laughed and shook her head as she walked closer to the tarp and watched the kids slip around on it as they tried to stand up. She didn't see Emily approach her as she watched Henry try to crawl across the slippery tarp.

Emily grabbed JJ around the waist hoisting her into the air slightly as she squealed, "Em no", but Emily just smiled as she stepped onto the tarp before setting JJ down. JJ turned slowly and carefully to look at her wife, but when she tried to take a step she slid towards Emily. Emily of course grabbed her arms to try to steady JJ, but they both lost their balance and went down, JJ landing on top of Emily. Both women were laughing at this time as JJ lay on top of Emily. Emily wrapped her arms around the blonde's waist and leaned up to plant a kiss on her wife's lips.

"That's so hot" Mike said as he watched the two women

"Dude" Declan stated as he shoved his friend off of his knees and smiled as Mike slid across the tarp on his side

Emily then rolled JJ so that she was on top before carefully standing up and straddling over JJ. She then reached down and grabbed JJ's hands in an attempt to help her up. However they both went down again. Emily crawled to the edge of the tarp and into the grass before reaching out and grabbing JJ by the leg and pulling her towards her and off of the tarp.

"Hey you" JJ said as she laid on her back looking up at Emily, one leg on each side of the brunette

"Hey yourself" Emily replied as she slid her hands up JJ's legs to her thighs

"Excuse me…don't mean to interrupt but there are children present…no R rated material allowed" Garcia said as she suddenly appeared next to her two friends

"Garcia" JJ said in a shocked tone as she sat up

"Well I'm just saying, I know you two hotties have problems keeping your hands off of each other"

"Okay Garcia we get it" Emily added as she and JJ stood up

Emily looked at JJ and smiled, "Go on, you know you want to"

JJ returned the smile before she ran around the tarp. She then began her run before jumping and sliding across the tarp on her knees, taking out Ethan and Henry in the process. She came to a stop at the edge of the tarp and she couldn't help but laugh.

Emily and Garcia stood side by side as they smiled and laughed at JJ and the kids. Emily giggled as Henry and Ethan both came sliding into JJ, trying to get revenge.

"Sometimes my raven haired beauty I just don't understand you two. One minute you are angry with the munchkins and then the next you are out there doing the same stuff you were mad at them for in the first place"

Emily turned to Garcia with a smile, "Actually we were never angry about this" she said pointing to the tarp, "We were angry with the incident on the stairs and with the fact that nobody would tell us what was going on"

"Fair enough. You two surprise me" Garcia stated

Emily looked at her with her head cocked to the side and her eyebrows slanted in confusion.

"Well not really surprise me, it's just that…you guys are so different at home with your kids. You are like big kids yourselves and you are great mothers…not that I doubted you two would ever not be great mothers…it's just…ugh…What I mean is it's good to see you guys not bringing work home with you"

Emily smiled as she wrapped an arm around her bubbly blonde friend's shoulders, "Thanks Garcia"

"For what?" she asked confused

"For being you" Emily told her sincerely

"So you're not mad?" Garcia asked with a smile

"Well those are a lot of kids to keep up with, especially when you add Jack and Mike to the mix. You could have told Declan that Mike couldn't come over" Emily said as she took her daughter out of Garcia's arms and placed the toddler on the ground

"Yeah but Mike's a good kid and he's always been a good friend to D, besides he needed someone his own age around, he's kind of outnumbered right now by the little ones" Garcia pointed out

Emily nodded and shrugged her shoulders as she saw JJ stealthily approaching from Garcia's other side. Emily began to smile and Garcia noticed.

"What are you smiling at?" the eclectic blonde asked as she stared at the brunette

Emily opened her mouth and shook her head just before JJ wrapped her arms around Garcia from behind. Garcia squealed but that just caused both Emily and JJ to laugh as Emily grabbed her from the front and they moved her the couple of feet to the tarp. They laughed as they all fell on the tarp and Garcia slid on her butt a little ways away from the two other women.

"You two are so dead" she said with a glare to her to friends

"Oh come on Garcia, who is going to get revenge on us?" JJ asked

"Yeah and you have to admit, it's pretty funny" Emily added

Garcia stared at the two women before breaking out into a full grin and nodding her head, "Okay maybe a little bit"

About half an hour later Emily and JJ finally ended the shenanigans in the back yard, ordering everyone inside to clean up. Henry, Ethan, and Jack all had to crawl off of the tarp because they could not stand up and walk off without falling.

But before they were allowed to clean up Emily ordered all of them to walk around and pick up the remnants left from the balloons. All of them sighed and complained, but did what they were told.

Once they were finished all of the kids, including Mike, Jack, and Garcia all took turns showering and getting cleaned up while JJ and Emily started dinner, then they also took turns showering. Once they had finished dinner Garcia left, offering to drop both Mike and Jack off at their respective houses, to which JJ and Emily agreed thankfully.

Once it was just Emily and JJ with their kids they called the boys downstairs and had them all sitting on the couch while the two women stood side by side in front of them.

"Okay, we just want to clear some things up with you guys" Emily began as she stared down at her three sons.

"You guys need to really think about things before you actually decide to do them" JJ added

"And we aren't angry about the tarp or even the surprise balloons, as you called it" Emily said with slight shake of her head

"But we do have a problem with boogie boarding and sliding down the banister head first. You guys should know better than that, but from now on there is to be no way of using the stairs except for walking. Because I have a feeling if we started naming things you couldn't use on the stairs, your creative brains would start working in overtime to try to figure out what you could use in place of what is banned" JJ said

"So with that being said, only walking is allowed on the stairs" Emily repeated

All three boys grinned up at their mothers, which didn't ease the two women's minds at all.

"So nothing else?" Declan questioned as he looked from blonde to brunette mother

"Nope only walking" JJ answered

"So no hugging?" Ethan asked as he looked from one mother to the other

"And that would mean no kissing for you two on the stairs…or anything else for that matter" Declan added with a sly grin

"Okay smart asses" Emily said as she stared down at her oldest two sons, "You guys know exactly what we mean so stop being a pain"

Declan and Ethan both just laughed, which caused Emily and JJ to smile as well, while Henry just sat there looking from his brothers to his mothers.

"When do we leave?" the seven year old piped up

JJ smiled down at her sandy blonde headed son and smiled, "Two days sweetie. We are going to leave bright and early Saturday morning"

"Okay" he answered as he jumped up and down on the couch

"Okay now you three can go take care of the kitchen" Emily told the boys with a smile

"Aww man" Declan exclaimed

"Mom" Ethan whined

"Oh please you guys act like you never have to do the dishes" Emily replied as she watched the three slowly get up and trudge towards the kitchen

Emily and JJ smiled and shook their heads before they plopped down on the couch, side by side. Emily grabbed the remote to the tv and flipped it on as JJ tucked her feet up under her and snuggled into Emily's side, while Emily propped her feet up on the coffee table crossing her ankles, before wrapping her arm around JJ's shoulders.

Once the boys finished the dishes they filed back into the living room, Ethan plopping down next to Emily as he leaned back into the couch and plopped his feet up on the coffee table next to Emily's, crossing his ankles as well, mirroring her. Emily smiled as she reached over with her left hand and patted Ethan on the thigh, smiling at her look alike. Henry claimed the seat closest to JJ as he snuggled into her side, while Declan squeezed himself between Henry and the arm rest of the couch.

"So what are we watching?" the teenager asked as he stared at the tv

"Nothing particular" JJ answered as she turned her head enough to smile at him

The five of them hung out for awhile before Declan announced he was heading upstairs. As soon as he got up JJ told Henry it was time for him to get ready for bed.

"Can I get a ride D?" the seven year old asked as he sat on his knees on the couch looking up at his big brother

Declan stared down at the boy and smiled, "I guess"

Declan then turned around and Henry jumped up on the couch before jumping onto Declan's back, wrapping his arms around the teenagers neck to hold on, while Declan grabbed the younger boy's legs.

JJ and Emily smiled at the two as they watched the boys head up the stairs. Emily then looked over at her dark haired son and saw him staring into space. She patted his leg again trying to get his attention.

"Hey kid, you okay?" she asked, earning a look from JJ as well

"Huh? Yeah" he answered as he shook his head before turning to find his two mothers looking at him

"You sure?" Emily questioned

Ethan nodded as he removed his feet from the coffee table, placing them back on the floor and leaning forward on the couch, stretching slightly. Emily rubbed his back, still not believing him, but she let him be.

Ethan turned around and smiled at his mothers, his demeanor completely different. JJ noticed and couldn't help but shake her head at how alike Emily and Ethan really were. She knew that they were alike, but it always amazed her at just how much.

"What are you smiling at?" JJ asked as she looked at the eleven year old

"Well I was just thinking…I mean Henry got a piggy back ride upstairs…so I think it's only fair if I get one too" he stated smiling from one mother to the other

Emily rolled her eyes at the look her son was giving her, but she couldn't tell him no. Instead she shook her head before standing up and stretching slightly herself. JJ couldn't resist the urge to slap Emily on the ass, while she stood in front of her. So she did just that, leaning forward slightly, she slapped Emily on the ass, causing a popping noise and for the brunette to jump as she grabbed her backside and rubbed it lightly as she spun around to stare at JJ, who had leaned back into the couch with a huge smile on her face, her cheeks red from blushing.

"Jen!" Emily exclaimed

JJ shrugged her shoulders and smiled innocently up at the brunette, "What?"

Emily rolled her eyes and shook her head with a smile at the look JJ was giving her.

"Well you are the one who decided to stand right there in front of me. That's like you begging me to do something about it" JJ added

Emily continued to smile down at her wife, "That's right I planned that perfectly didn't I" she said sarcastically

JJ giggled and Ethan finally had enough, "You guys need to get a room"

Emily spun around to look at Ethan who was still sitting on the couch, "Excuse me"

"I love you guys, don't get me wrong, but doing all of that…stuff" he said as motioned towards his mothers, "In front of us is gross"

Emily and JJ both rolled their eyes before Emily spoke up, "Well that's what happens when you have parents who love each other. Now do you want that piggy back ride or not?"

Ethan looked up at his brunette mother and smiled with a nod before standing up on the couch, nearly losing his balance and almost falling on JJ, but luckily she caught him and helped him remain standing up. Then he jumped onto Emily's back causing her to fall forward slightly as she caught her son around the legs.

"Geeze little man you are going to be too big for this soon" Emily stated as she hoisted him up slightly higher

And just to mess with Ethan Emily bent down and kissed JJ on the lips, causing Ethan to drop his face into his mothers back. When she stood back up Emily was smiling widely, as was JJ.

"You did that on purpose" Ethan said

Emily shrugged, "Yeah I did, but I can't help it I love your mom so much"

"Yeah I know" Ethan replied, earning another smile from Emily

She made it upstairs and to Ethan and Henry's bedroom, before setting the brunette boy down. Just then Henry came back into the room from the bathroom.

"Brush your teeth H?" Emily asked

The seven year old nodded before showing a big toothy smile to his brunette mother. Then he walked up to her and opened his mouth wide so that she could inspect his teeth.

"Looks good kid" she said as she ruffled the sandy blonde hair

Ethan disappeared to change into his pajamas and brush his teeth so Emily pulled back the comforter containing pictures of several different sports on the bottom bunk for Henry. He climbed into bed just as JJ came into the room. She walked up to pull the covers over him, before sitting down next to him on bed.

"Will you read me a story?" he asked as he looked up at JJ

"Sure baby" she answered with a smile

"I'm not a baby mom" he said as he lay on his back with his arms crossed

"Oh right, I'm sorry little man" JJ said correcting herself and earning a grin from Emily who was standing next to the bed

Ethan came around the corner at that time and opened his mouth for Emily to inspect. She high fived him before lacing her hands together and allowing Ethan to place his foot in her hands before she hoisted him up into the air and onto the top bunk. Then she pulled his star wars covers up over him and kissed his forehead.

"JJ's going to read a story, if that's okay" she told the eleven year old

He shrugged as he rolled to his side, facing her, before she turned and sat down in the desk chair as JJ began the story. Once she was finished JJ bent down and kissed Henry on the cheek before standing on the bed frame to kiss Ethan's cheek. Emily then got up and walked over to Henry so that she could kiss him on the forehead as well. As JJ and Emily walked towards the door they all echoed I love you's before the adults left the room. They then walked across the hall and said goodnight to Declan. They peeked in on Penny one last time before heading into their own bedroom to get ready for bed.

At about three in the morning Emily shot up in bed at the sound of a noise downstairs. As she looked over at JJ she saw that she was still sleeping soundly on her side facing Emily. Emily sat up in bed and listened carefully when she heard another sound downstairs. She got out of bed, careful to not wake JJ and walked out of the bedroom and down the hall to check on the boys. All three were sound asleep, when Emily thought she heard something else downstairs. She walked quickly back to her room, getting her gun out of the safe, before turning and walking back out of the bedroom. She walked carefully down the stairs, her gun held out in front of her. As she checked each room downstairs and finally rounded around the living room, she saw the back door swinging open and shut, the wind causing it to make the noise she heard upstairs. She walked carefully up to the door, before stepping out onto the back deck and scanning the backyard. She didn't see anything unusual so she turned to go back inside. But when she did she came face to face with JJ.

"Jesus Jayje" Emily said, releasing the breath she had been holding

"What the hell are you doing Emily?" JJ asked as she stood with her arms crossed staring at the older woman

"I heard a noise down here and when I came to check it out I found the back door open" Emily told her as she pointed to the door before stepping inside and shutting and locking it behind her

"So you thought you would check out the noise without me, but with your gun?" the blonde asked as she walked over and leaned against the island

"You were asleep JJ and I didn't want to wake you" Emily replied

"Yeah but Em, you know how Declan feels about guns. What if it would have been him standing here instead of me. You would have scared the crap out of him"

"I know but I think…never mind" Emily began but stopped

"What Emily? Tell me what you're thinking" JJ said as she stepped closer to the older woman

"Nothing"

"Em"

"I just…I've had this weird feeling lately" Emily said quietly

"What feeling?" JJ said, pressing her wife

"Look I don't want to freak you out, or worry you"

"It's too late for that, now tell me" JJ said in a forceful tone

"I've just had this feeling that someone has been…watching us" Emily said calmly as she met JJ's blue eyes

"What?"

"I didn't say that it was actually happening. I don't have proof. I've just had this eerie feeling lately"

"Emily you know I trust your instincts right?" JJ asked as she looked into her wife's dark brown eyes

Emily nodded. She didn't want to tell JJ, but after tonight she was a little bit worried that her instincts were correct.

"So what did you hear tonight?" JJ asked

"I think it was just the back door banging against the wall. That was really the only sound I heard. Did you lock up everything tonight?"

"Of course I did" JJ almost snapped

"I wasn't accusing Jayje. I was just asking"

JJ nodded, "I know. I'm sorry. I don't remember now. I'm pretty sure I locked it, or maybe I thought it was already locked, because I think I turned out the kitchen light from the living room, so I wouldn't have walked back into the kitchen."

Emily walked up to JJ and reached around her to place her gun on the island before gripping JJ's face in her hands, "Baby, look at me…JJ"

JJ finally met Emily's eyes and Emily smiled, "Hey there beautiful. Listen to me, okay. I'm sure it was nothing, okay. The wind is blowing pretty good tonight and it probably just blew the door open. You know this door doesn't always shut good unless you lock it. And my whole eerie feeling thing, it probably just has to do with that case we worked on and those boys. I haven't slept very well since then."

"I don't know Em"

"Look I checked the rest of the house already and everything is fine, okay. I've shut and locked this door. Let's just go back to bed and get some sleep. We have one day of work left before we get to blow this joint for ten days" Emily said with a smile

JJ smiled also, "You have such a way with words"

"Hmmm seems like I've been told that before" Emily grinned before leaning down and capturing the blonde's lips in her own in a deep kiss

When Emily pulled away she continued to smile at JJ and she could see the blonde already more relaxed. She reached back to the island and picked up her gun, taking the clip out of it before taking JJ's hand and leading her back upstairs and to their bedroom.

What they didn't know was that there was still a man crouched in the backyard watching the house after narrowly escaping from being caught by the brunette FBI agent. He smiled to himself as he listened to the conversation between the two women from the small mic he had just placed inside their kitchen light. He was slightly perturbed because he had not been able to plant the rest of the devices around the house, he was so caught up in checking out the house the women lived in, including the frames holding pictures of their family from the last few years that were sitting on an end table in the living room.

The next day at work Morgan could tell that Emily was distracted. He walked over to her desk and leaned against it as he looked down at his partner as she tried to finish all of her paperwork.

"Hey princess, you okay?" he asked

Emily finished what she was writing before looking up at the dark agent, "I'm fine Morgan"

He continued to stare at her, trying to decipher whether or not she was telling him the truth. He didn't think that she was but he figured if it was anything major she would tell him.

"Are you sure? You seem kind of distracted today?" he questioned, trying one last time

"I'm good. I'm just excited about our vacation. It'll be nice to get away for awhile. It's kind of hard to concentrate when I know that tomorrow evening I will be watching the sunset at the beach" Emily replied smiling as she added the last part

Morgan nodded, "Okay, yeah I may be slightly jealous that you and JJ get ten days away from here"

Emily smiled even wider as she leaned back in her chair and looked up at Morgan, "Yeah I'm pretty lucky aren't I"

Morgan picked the pen up off of Emily's desk and tossed it playfully at her. Emily batted it away as the two of the laughed, before Morgan spoke up again, "And ya Prentiss you are pretty damn lucky in more ways than one"

Emily nodded, "I know"

"So I can't believe you guys are actually going to leave Penny with Garcia for ten days" Morgan said looking back down at Emily

"Why? Garcia loves Penny and it gives us a chance to spend some time with just the boys, they are growing up so fast. I know it's not ideal but we figured this way we could do more things as a family and we won't have to worry about nap times and all the other good stuff a toddler comes with"

"That's true. Plus I will get to spend some time with my mini blondie" Morgan added with a smile

Emily rolled her eyes at the nickname, "JJ is going to kick your ass if you keep calling her and Penny that"

"Aww come one, deep down she loves it"

Emily scrunched up her eyebrows, narrowing her eyes slightly and letting her mouth hang open slightly, "Oh yeah that's all she talks about when we get home, is how much she loves your nickname for her"

"Oh shut up Prentiss. Like you don't have nicknames for people around here"

"I never said I didn't. Although some of the ones I have for JJ are not appropriate to mention in public" Emily said with a seductive smile

"Well then. Would you care to share a few with your handsome best friend?" Morgan questioned as he wiggled his eyebrows

"Uh no"

"Aww come on princess. Just one?" Morgan begged

"No" Emily repeated as she stood up from her chair

Morgan pushed away from the desk in an attempt to follow her.

"Morgan I said-" Emily began but as she spun on her heel away from her desk she came face to face with JJ

"Oh hey" Emily said with a nervous smile

"Hey" JJ answered as she looked from Emily to Morgan who was still standing behind her

"What are you two up to?" the blonde asked with a raised eyebrow

"Nothing" the brunette answered as Morgan turned to head back to his desk

"Riiight" JJ replied with a smile

"What's up?" Emily asked

"Nothing I was just talking to Pen about plans for her picking up Penny tomorrow morning and making her promise that she won't do anything extreme to our daughter" JJ said as she walked over to her desk and sat down in her chair, crossing her legs

Emily perched herself on JJ's desk and smiled, "Did you give her a list of what not to do?"

"Basically" JJ answered with a light laugh, "I told her she could not put any color streaks in our daughter's hair, or dye it, not that she would want to but it is Garcia so you never know. Oh and I also told her no ear piercings"

Emily smiled and laughed lightly as well at the thoughts of Garcia and the extremities she could possibly go to the next ten days.

"I have to say I may be regretting going home tonight…slightly" JJ confessed as she looked sheepishly up at Emily

Emily cocked her head to the side, "Why?"

"Because you know not one of those boys has packed anything. We are going to have to help them pack and then pack our stuff"

Emily nodded with her head still tilted to the side, "True"

"Oh and I call dibs on not helping Ethan pack" JJ said quickly with a smile

"What? Why?" the brunette questioned

"Please" JJ said with a smirk, "That kid is as bad as you when it comes to packing. He has to have two outfits for everyday just in case the weather changes, even though it's summer time right now. You two need to learn how to just pick out an outfit for a day and pack it in a bag, instead of giving some excuse about how you might be in a mood to wear something different so you pack extra clothes. I mean really. Dec and I call it the suitcase lottery, because you never know what outfit will win for the day"

Emily glared at JJ as she listened to the blonde rant about not only her son's packing habit but also hers, "JJ we are not that bad"

"Please" JJ said as she tilted her head to the side and gave Emily the 'you've got to be kidding me look', before adding, "I don't understand how you can have a go bag that is packed with so little when we don't even know how long we will be gone on a case sometimes. But when we know we are going somewhere for a certain amount of days you feel the need to over pack"

"Well I don't really know what to say to all of that" Emily replied as she slid off of the blonde's desk

"Emily" JJ said catching her hand, "Come on are you upset. I didn't mean to-"

Emily turned back and gave JJ a shit eating grin causing JJ to glare at her this time, "Oh you are so going down later"

"In what context are we talking about going down?" Emily questioned with a wink and a smile before turning and heading back to her own desk to finish her paperwork

JJ was left slightly flustered and was blushing when Reid walked around the corner with a cup of coffee in his hands. He noticed JJ looking slightly red and he stopped to look at her.

"Are you okay JJ? You look like you might be a little warm?" Reid said out loud, getting Emily and now Rossi's attention as the older man stopped by Reid's desk to look at the blonde

"I'm fine Reid. It just…I did feel like I was getting a little hot. Is the AC on?" the blonde questioned as she looked around and fanned herself lightly with a file on her desk

"It's on JJ. I hope you aren't coming down with something before you leave for your vacation tomorrow. That wouldn't be a very fun time" Rossi said as took another look at JJ before heading over to the coffee machine

"Yeah I hope your okay" Reid added before sitting down at his desk and pulling out a file and looking down at it

JJ took that opportunity to turn and glare at her wife who was sitting at the desk across the aisle from her. Emily looked over at JJ and smiled broadly, giving the blonde another wink before turning her attention back to her paperwork.

When JJ and Emily finally made it home that evening they were greeted by all three boys who had smiles plastered on their faces. The two women looked at each other apprehensively before turning back to the boys.

"What have you guys done?" Emily asked with a playful smile

"Nothing that you guys won't find amazing" Declan smiled as he held his arm out to Emily

Emily raised her eyebrow at JJ before turning back to her sixteen year old son and looping her arm through his. As Declan started leading Emily through the living room towards the kitchen Ethan turned to JJ and held his arm out as well. JJ smiled down at the brunette boy before accepting his arm. Henry then came around and held out his hand which JJ gladly accepted. When they made it into the kitchen they found two candles lit and dinner sitting on the stove. Janet came around the corner at that time with Penny in her arms.

"Mama" Penny exclaimed as she held her arms out to Emily

Emily dropped her arm from Declan as she reached for the toddler, kissing her on the cheek as she placed her on her hip.

"What have you guys done here?" JJ asked as she let go of Ethan and Henry

"Made you dinner Mom, Janet helped us" Henry informed his blonde mother with a smile

"It was their idea and they did most of the work, I just observed" Janet told the women with a smile

JJ and Emily smiled at her, "Thanks Janet"

"Anytime" the sitter replied, "You guys have fun and be safe and I will see you in a week and a half"

With that Janet smiled and turned to let herself out the back door. JJ then noticed that there were only two places set at the table.

"Aren't you guys going to eat with us?" the blonde asked

"No" Penny answered as she clapped her hands together

They all smiled at the tiny girl.

"Nah we are going to go pack and let you guys eat" Declan informed his mothers

"Yeah we already ate" Ethan told them

"Hmmm, and what did you guys eat?" Emily asked as she bounced Penny on her hip

"Bizza" Henry answered with a smile

"You mean pizza sweetie?" Emily questioned

"No we mean bizza" Ethan replied, "JJ made it for us one time, you smush a bunch of burgers together in a pan and then add a bunch of cheese and sauce to it and bake it in the oven"

Emily's jaw dropped open as she turned to look at her wife, "Seriously?"

JJ blushed as she nodded, "You know I came up with a lot of interesting dishes in college, but I figured that one they would appreciate"

"It sounds disgusting" Emily replied

"Actually its pretty good" Declan said

"Ya mama" Penny said as she looked up at Emily

Emily smiled and shook her head, "I will take your word for it"

"Okay well we are going to go upstairs" Declan said as he reached out to take Penny from Emily

As the boys disappeared up the stairs Emily and JJ smiled at each other before Emily said, "What do you want to make a bet they either did something wrong or they are trying to get on our good side so we let them do more stuff by themselves at the beach?"

"Aww honey, don't you think that they would just want to do something nice for their mothers" JJ replied with a smile

"This close to a vacation?" Emily questioned with a raised eyebrow

"True" JJ nodded, "But at this point I don't care because I am starving"

"Me too" Emily replied

The two women ate their dinner and cleaned up the kitchen before going upstairs to check on the kids. They found Penny in the younger boy's room with them, suitcases all open, but nothing really packed which didn't surprise either woman. They found both boys on the ground playing with action figures and trying to get Penny to play also.

"Well I see you guys are packed and ready to go" JJ said as she walked into the bedroom ahead of Emily

Ethan shot up onto his knees while Henry remained on his stomach but turned to look up at his mother, "Nuh uh we haven't packed nothing yet"

"She was kidding" Ethan told his little brother

"Oh" the seven year old responded before turning back to his action figures

"Yeah Ethan you should have started packing this morning" Emily said as she walked over to sit on the bottom bunk, while JJ sat in the desk chair

"Why?" he asked as he stood up and walked over to his closet, opening the door to look at his clothes

"Because sweetie, it's going to take you all night to pack" Emily replied with a smile

Ethan turned around to face his mother as he crossed his arms and stared at her, "No it won't"

JJ smiled at Ethan's reaction and about how much he resembled Emily in that moment.

"Okay if you say so" Emily replied as she shrugged her shoulders

"It won't. I can be packed in thirty minutes" he told her

Emily raised an eyebrow at her son and JJ saw the smirk on her face, "Care to put a wager on that?"

"Sure" Ethan replied as he took a few steps across the room

JJ rolled her eyes at what was about to happen.

"Okay, if you're packed in thirty minutes then you can be off of dish duty for a week" Emily said

"Aww mom, I was hoping for something good, like, if I get packed in time that the next time I get into trouble I will not be grounded" Ethan told her with a smile

Emily laughed, "Keep dreaming kid"

Ethan smiled in return before saying, "Okay if I get packed no dishes for a week and if I don't?"

"If you don't then…you have to stay out of trouble for a whole week" Emily told him

"A whole week?" Ethan whined

"Take it or leave it little man" Emily replied

Ethan sighed, "Okay…deal"

Emily held out her hand and Ethan closed the space between them to shake hands. JJ shook her head at the two brunettes. Ethan would never be able to stay out of trouble for a week. He always found something to get into, whether he meant to or not. Not that it was bad things, he usually got into trouble because his brain was always going a million miles an hour and he was always coming up with new theories he wanted to test out, such as boogie boarding down the stairs or climbing out of a window with a sheet. He was a good kid, he just didn't always think things through.

"Okay Henry let's get you packed" JJ said as she stood up out of the desk chair

"No way, not yet, I get thirty minutes alone to pack. I can't risk being distracted" Ethan said as he looked at JJ, his big brown eyes begging her to agree

JJ shook her head again as she smiled at her son. She couldn't tell him no, "Fine. Thirty minutes"

"Thanks mom" he smiled before saying, "And could you guys take those two with you" he said nodding towards Henry and Penny

Emily and JJ made eye contact and Emily just shrugged. Emily got up and walked over to the two kids laying on the floor. She scooped up Penny as JJ motioned for Henry. Emily and JJ took the two little kids into their bedroom to keep them out of Ethan's way and so that they could pack. As Henry lay on his parent's bed playing with his batman and joker action figures, Penny sat next to him with her baby doll. Emily walked into the closet and pulled out her and JJ's suitcases, rolling them out to put them next to the bed. Then she disappeared back into the closet and JJ sat down on the chest at the foot of the bed, watching and listening to Emily. She smiled as she heard Emily begin to speak in another language, probably using a few choice curse words. When she came back out of the closet she found JJ smiling broadly at her.

"What?" Emily questioned

JJ widened her eyes and shook her head, "Nothing. It's just funny to watch you freak out over packing"

"I am not freaking out" Emily objected

"Right. That's why you were just speaking another language…French I believe" JJ stated

Emily narrowed her eyes at JJ, but the blonde continued to smile. Then JJ had an idea.

"Emily I'll make you a bet" JJ said

"What kind of bet" Emily questioned

"I bet that you can't pack your things in thirty minutes"

"That's not fair JJ, I'm a grown woman, not an eleven year old boy" Emily pointed out

JJ stared at her wife before giving in, "Fine I'll give you forty five minutes"

"And if I win?" Emily questioned with her eyebrow raised

JJ smirked as she answered, "I have to do whatever you ask me to for one whole night" she finished with a wink

Emily swallowed the knot in her throat as she looked from JJ to their two kids laying on their bed. Then she turned back to JJ.

"And if you win?"

"Then you will do whatever I want…and believe me I will get you back for that whole scene at the office earlier" JJ told the brunette

"Deal" Emily agreed as she opened up her suitcase, "Ready?"

JJ looked at her watch before answering, "Go"

JJ then sat down on their bed with Henry and Penny smiling as she watched Emily run around grabbing clothes out of the dresser, then running into the closet and coming back out with her hands full of shirts. JJ laughed to herself at Emily tossed her clothes into her suitcase without even folding them. Emily went into the bathroom grabbing her make up bag, brush, and straightener before heading back into the bedroom and tossing the items into the suitcase. The brunette then ran back to the dresser and began opening and closing drawers. As JJ watched she finally opened her mouth.

"What are you looking for Em?"

"My bathing suits" she answered, as if JJ should have known

The blonde got up off of the bed and walked into the closet opening the bottom drawer of the dresser that was located there. The brunette followed JJ into the closet and sighed when she saw both her and JJ's bathing suits inside the bottom drawer. JJ smirked before turning and walking back out of the closet, before plopping back down on the bed next to Henry.

A few minutes later Ethan came running into his parent's bedroom with three hats in his hand. JJ turned and saw the worried look etched across the eleven year olds face.

"What is it E?" JJ asked

"Which hat should I take? Or should I take all three?" the boy asked

JJ looked at her son who was holding up a black fedora hat with a white band around the top, as well as a plain black fedora, while the other hat was his brown flat hat.

"Ethan I am not choosing a hat for you because you will just tell me later that I picked the wrong one. Why don't you just take a baseball cap" JJ suggested

"I am. But I need these also." Ethan said clearly flustered, "Okay fine I'll just take all of them"

With that Ethan turned and ran back out of the room with his hats as JJ just shook her head. Then not two minutes later he came running back into his parent's bedroom a smile on his face.

"Done" he hollered as he jumped up onto the bed with JJ, Henry, and Penny

"Really?" asked JJ as she reached up and brushed some of Ethan's bangs out of his eyes

He nodded, "Yep"

"Did you pack your swim shorts?" she asked him

Ethan's face immediately fell as he sighed before falling face first into the mattress. JJ laughed as she rubbed the eleven year olds back. He rolled over onto his side as he looked at his blonde mother.

"Do I still win? I packed everything else" he stated

JJ looked from Ethan to the closet where Emily had disappeared to a few minutes earlier. When she turned back to her brunette son she smiled.

"Alright, hurry up and go put it in your suitcase"

Ethan smiled before rolling off of the bed and running into the hall before turning around and running back into the bedroom.

"Where is it?" he asked

JJ thought for a moment before she answered, "Look in your tall dresser that's in the corner. Bottom drawer. Henry's should be in there too, will you lay it on his bed please"

Before she could even finish Ethan was back out of the bedroom running down the hallway. Emily came out of the closet moments later as she tossed the last of her belongings into the suitcase before zipping it closed.

"Done" Emily stated proudly as she plopped down onto the bed next to Penny

JJ looked at her watch and saw that she did make it within her forty five minutes. She also had a pretty good idea that she was going to catch Emily later repacking her stuff so that she could fold it neatly into the suitcase.

"Well it looks like you won babe" JJ told her with a smile

"Sure does. Are you going to pack?" Emily asked as she looked over at her wife

JJ got up and walked into the closet before coming out with two bathing suits, a tiny silk nightie, and a pair of shorts with a spaghetti strap shirt. She dropped them into her suitcase before looking at Emily with a smile.

"Done" JJ told her with a wink

Emily fought hard to control her breathing as JJ smiled seductively at her after only dropping a few items into her suitcase. The items Emily knew were not going to cover very much of anything. Before she could respond Ethan came running back into the room and jumped up onto the bed next to JJ.

"Did mama J tell you that I won the bet" Ethan asked Emily who was laying on the other side of the bed

"Really?" Emily questioned as she looked from her son to JJ, who nodded

Ethan smiled widely at his mother, who returned the smile, "Well…good job little man"

Ethan gave an appreciative nod to his mother.

"Well we should get Henry packed" JJ stated as she crawled around Ethan to get off of the bed

Emily nodded as she rolled off of the bed. As she walked around the bed she looked at Ethan.

"Watch your sister for a minute. I'm going to check on Declan"

Ethan nodded to his mother who followed JJ out of the room. As JJ entered the younger boy's room she stopped in her tracks at the mess that surrounded her. There were clothes everywhere.

"Oh my God" she said out loud, catching Emily's attention

The brunette stepped into the bedroom behind JJ, "What?"

Emily smiled as she saw the bedroom, "That's my boy"

Emily didn't give JJ time to respond as she turned and exited the room quickly. She made it to Declan's room and saw that the door was open and he was kneeling on the floor still packing things into his suitcase.

"Hey D, you need any help" she asked as she leaned against the doorframe

Declan turned to look at Emily, "No thanks, I'm good"

The brunette nodded before turning and heading back down the hallway to the younger boys room. She walked in and found JJ standing at the closet looking at clothes. Emily walked over to one of the dressers and opened a drawer, pulling out a few pair of shorts for Henry. JJ turned and smiled at her as she reached into the closet and pulled out some shirts. She also grabbed Henry's baby blue sweatshirt and one pair of jeans, knowing how cool it could still be at night. Meanwhile Emily grabbed Henry's swim shorts off of the bed before heading over to the suitcase. She folded up the shorts before placing them in the suitcase, just as JJ came over, handing her a couple of shirts to fold. Once they added those clothes to the suitcase JJ went back over to the closet and pulled out a deep red t-shirt with a big soccer ball on the front, while Emily pulled out a pair of khaki cargo shorts and a pair of socks. They placed the outfit on the desk for Henry to wear the next day. Then JJ walked back over to the closet and pulled out Henry's navy blue converse high top shoes and set them by the desk, before walking back over to the closet and pulling out his brown flip flops and his black plaid high top converse shoes, placing those two pairs into his suitcase.

"Do you think I should double check Ethan's suitcase?" Emily asked as she sat down in the desk chair

JJ shrugged, "My guess is he's going to stay up after we are in bed and repack his things"

Emily nodded her head to the side, "Probably true"

The women smiled at each other before Emily stood up out of the chair and held her hand out to JJ who was sitting Indian style on the floor next to Henry's suitcase. JJ smiled and accepted Emily's hand as the brunette pulled the blonde up off of the floor.

"I'm surprised Garcia agreed to stay here" JJ said as y walked out of the boy's bedroom

"Well it will be easier for Penny. Plus someone has to take care of my other babies" Emily said as she turned to smile at JJ

"Right because we can't just stick Sergio and Salem outside while we are gone" JJ replied rolling her eyes

"Not for ten days Jennifer. Besides Salem doesn't really care for the outdoors that much" Emily pointed out

"And why did I let you talk me into getting another cat?" JJ said as they made it back to their bedroom, finding the three younger kids still sprawled out on the bed

"Uh because you thought it would be a good idea for Sergio to have a buddy. And because you wouldn't let me and Henry have a dog" Emily said, making sure to say the last part sadly

JJ glared at Emily and Emily smiled before saying, "I'm sorry babe, I know how you feel about dogs"

Ever since the case with Tobias Henkel JJ was not comfortable around many dogs and she didn't want her kids to be around any either unless she knew the dogs were trained well.

"Besides you picked Salem out of the bunch" Emily pointed out

As if on cue a sleek gray cat jumped onto the bed and walked over to Henry, rubbing against his face. The two women smiled as Henry giggled before rubbing his head into the cats side. JJ walked over to the bed and sat down next to Henry as she picked Salem up and began scratching behind his ears making him purr.

"I know, but how can you say no to this sweet guy" JJ smiled as she kissed the top of the cats head before setting him back down.

Emily smiled at her wife before leaning over slightly to pick up Penny. She kissed the toddler on the forehead before standing up and shifting the little girl to her hip.

"I think it's bath time baby girl"

"No baff" Penny said as she looked at her brunette mother

"Uh yes baby girl, bath" Emily said as she walked around the bed

Penny began to squirm in her mother's arms, "No baff"

Emily stopped and handed the toddler out to JJ.

"Excuse me?" JJ asked as Emily held an outstretched Penny towards her

"You hold her for a second while I go start the bath" Emily said

"Uh no way babe, I will go start her bath, you hold on to her" JJ smiled as she got up and hurried out of the room

"No baff" Penny began to yell louder

Emily cringed as she held the newly turned two year old. Ethan and Henry both covered their ears as they slid off of the bed and practically ran out of the room.

"You two need to take a bath and get ready for bed also" Emily shouted down the hall to the two boys

Penny began to cry louder and Emily sighed as she began to rock the blonde little girl back and forth in an attempt to calm her down.

A few minutes later JJ came into the bedroom and smiled at Emily who was still trying to calm the upset toddler.

"It's ready" JJ said, causing Emily to turn around and look at her

Emily nodded as she walked out of the bedroom to the guest bathroom, located next to Penny's room. As soon as Emily walked in Penny began to scream louder. Emily got the toddler's clothes off and was able to place her in the bubble bath. She then knelt down next to the bathtub and dug around in the toy bin that was located on the floor. She found a rubber duck that would fill up with water, so when you squeeze it the water shoots out of it's mouth. Emily turned and stuck it in the water, filling it up, before getting Penny's attention and then squeezing the duck, so that it squirted water at the little girl. Penny stopped crying and stared at the duck and then back at Emily. The brunette smiled at her daughter before turning the duck on herself and squeezing it so that she got squirted in the chest with water. This caused Penny to burst out laughing as she took the duck from her mother and began to splash in the water, getting Emily wet in the process.

JJ had been standing in the doorway of the bathroom and was smiling at everything that had just transpired. Emily was just able to turn a very unhappy two year old from screaming and crying, to laughing. JJ couldn't help the laugh that escaped her as Penny squirted the duck right at Emily's face. The brunette turned around and spotted her blonde wife laughing and smiling as she stood in the doorway of the bathroom.

"Laugh it up JJ" Emily told her, but with a smile

"I am thank you"

"No matter how frustrated I get with her I can't help but love her" Emily said as she turned back to Penny who was splashing the bubbles and water around with the rubber duck

JJ walked into the bathroom and knelt down beside Emily. Turning to her, the blonde smiled, reaching up and brushing some of Emily's wet hair out of her face.

"Have I told you how much I love you?" JJ asked

"Mmm, not recently" Emily answered with a smile

"Well I love you. And every time I see you interact with one of our kids, I'm reminded of one of the many reasons why I fell in love with you" the blonde told the brunette

She then leaned in and kissed Emily on the cheek.

"Uh oh" Penny said as she covered her eyes with her hands

Emily and JJ both laughed at the two year olds antics before Emily turned back to JJ, "I love you too JJ"

The blonde nodded, "I know" before standing up and getting Penny's purple hooded bear towel.

JJ held the towel open as Emily grabbed Penny under the arms and lifted her up out of the tub. JJ then wrapped the towel around the little girl as she covered her head with the head of the purple bear. Then JJ rubbed the little girl up and down with her hands to dry her off before giving her a big bear hug from behind, causing the girl to laugh

Emily smiled as she watched the two blondes, before turning and reaching into the water to unplug the drain. When she turned back around Henry was standing in the doorway in only a pair of shorts.

"Ethan locked me out of the bathroom" the seven year old said, "He's been in there forever and I'm tired"

JJ picked up Penny as Emily stood up and looked down at the blonde boy, "Okay H, you can take a bath in here okay"

"But this is a girl's bathroom, it has a purple curtain" he said as he pointed at the lavender colored shower curtain

Emily rolled her eyes as she turned around to start the bath for the boy, "Henry it's not going to hurt you to take a bath in here one time"

When she turned back around he had walked into the bathroom and was standing behind her.

"Okay but don't tell anyone. And don't say nothing about me kinda liking purple" Henry whispered to Emily

"My lips are sealed little man" she said with a smile as she walked towards the door.

When she turned back around she noticed he didn't have any clothes with him, "Henry did you forget your pajamas?"

"Uh uh, they're in the bathroom with Ethan" the seven year old stated

"Okay well get in the tub and I will go get your pj's and your towel" Emily told him as she walked out of the bathroom and shut the door behind her

Emily walked down the hall to the boy's bathroom and stood there knocking on the door.

"What" Ethan shouted from inside

"You know the rule about locking doors in this house Ethan Tyler"

"Mom"

"No you open this door right now" Emily shouted through the door

"But I'm in the shower"

"NOW ETHAN. Henry's towel and pj's are in there"

A few seconds later the bathroom door opened revealing a wet Ethan with a towel around his waist. He shoved a green towel and a pair of pajamas at Emily.

"Here" he said but as he looked at his mother he knew he was in trouble, "I'm sorry for locking the door"

"Thank you. Now hurry and finish your shower, it's getting late and we have to be up early" she told him

He nodded before shutting the door. She turned and walked back down the hallway to the other bathroom and knocked lightly before entering. She walked in and set the pj's on the counter before turning and hanging the towel on the towel bar.

"Here you go sweetie"

"Thanks mama"

"You're welcome. Don't be too long, it's getting late"

"Okay"

Emily then turned and walked back out of the bathroom and down the hall to her bedroom where she found JJ dressing Penny in her pj's.

"You ready to put her to bed?" Emily asked as she sat down on the bed next to JJ

"Yeah" JJ answered as she stood up shifting Penny to her hip before walking ahead of Emily out of their bedroom and into Penny's

JJ waited for Emily to pull the pink and purple covers back on the small bed before she sat Penny down and then covered her up.

"Ready for a story baby?" JJ asked as she sat on the small bed while Emily sat on the floor next to the bed

"Yay" Penny said as she clapped her tiny hands together with a smile

JJ and Emily both smiled as JJ began to recite one of the many bedtime stories they had told their children over the years. Then JJ bent over and kissed Penny on the lips.

"Love you baby"

"Love mama" Penny replied as JJ stood up

Emily then stood up and repeated the process before they walked out of the room, leaving the door cracked open slightly behind them. They walked down the hall and opened the boy's room, finding both of them in bed.

"Night guys, we will be waking you up bright and early" JJ told them

"Night mom" they said simultaneously

JJ then shut the door and she and Emily walked down to Declan's room, who still had his door open.

"Hey D, you going to bed sometime soon?" JJ asked as she and Emily stood in the doorway

"Yeah in a little bit" he told them with a smile

JJ nodded, "You all packed?"

"Yep" he answered with a smile

JJ nodded again, "Okay, night kid, love you"

"Love you guys too" he told them with a smile

With that JJ pulled his door shut behind them as she and Emily walked back down the hall to their room. They changed and got ready for bed before climbing into bed and snuggling up together.

A few hours later Emily woke up and saw JJ sound asleep next to her. The brunette then carefully slid out of bed and walked over to her suitcase. She opened it back up and began going through the clothes she had packed earlier in the evening. She folded the items she wanted to take with her neatly to one side, while she moved other items to another pile. A few minutes later she heard the bathroom door down the hall, so she got up and walked out of the bedroom down the hall and saw the light on in the boy's bathroom. When she looked inside no one was in there so she went to the younger boys bedroom and opened the door. She saw Ethan repacking his suitcase so that his clothes were neatly folded and she couldn't help but laugh, causing him to turn around.

"Mom" he said startled as he spun around on his knees

"Ethan what are you doing? It's two in the morning" she said as she walked inside the bedroom

"I know. But I couldn't remember what I had packed and I knew everything would be wrinkled because I just threw it in there" he said motioning to the red suitcase

"Well have you finished repacking then?" she asked as she knelt down beside him

"Almost" he answered as he turned back to the suitcase to add a few more items

Then he stopped and turned to look at his mother again, "I guess this means I really lost the bet, huh"

"Let's just forget about the bet, okay handsome" Emily told him as she ran her fingers through his hair

He smiled and nodded his head before turning back and placing the last items in the suitcase. Then he picked up a couple of hats and placed them into a bag, setting it next to his suitcase.

"All done" he said as he looked at Emily, "For real this time"

Emily returned the smile as she stood up along with her son. She bent down and kissed him on the cheek before she watched him climb back onto the top bunk. Then she turned and walked out of the bedroom and back to her room.

She found JJ still asleep so she went back to her suitcase and began repacking things. A few minutes later JJ woke up and looked to her left, seeing the bed empty. Then she heard noises coming from the foot of the bed. She sat up carefully and she could see the top of her wife's head and could tell that she was probably repacking. She smiled to herself as she carefully crawled to the foot of the bed on her stomach.

"Whatchya doin babe?" JJ said as she propped her elbows up on the bed and let her chin rest in her hands as she laid on her stomach, startling Emily and causing her to jump

JJ giggled as Emily turned to glare at her before the glare turned to an innocent smile, "Nothing"

"Uh huh. I know you are repacking your things and it doesn't surprise me one bit" the blonde said with a smile

Emily sighed, "I guess I lost the bet huh?"

"Yep" JJ replied with a seductive smile, "But the way I see it, it was a win-win kind of bet"

Emily returned the smile, "True"

"Are you almost finished?"

"Yes, just a couple more things I need to add and then I'm good. We just can't forget to pack all of our bath stuff, along with the kids stuff" Emily reminded her

JJ nodded, "Okay well hurry up and come back to bed"

"I'll be there in a sec" the brunette said as she placed the last of her clothes into her suitcase

JJ climbed back up the bed and laid on her stomach, her head turned towards Emily's side of the bed. A few minutes later Emily climbed into bed and rolled onto her right side to face JJ. She smiled as she scooted closer to the blonde, before throwing her left arm across JJ's back and placing a kiss to her forehead.

"Night babe" the brunette smiled

"Night" JJ replied before closing her eyes

The next morning came sooner that anyone was expecting or hoping. JJ rolled out of bed and headed into the bathroom to shower first, while Emily went downstairs to start breakfast. She stopped at Penny's room first and got the toddler, since she was already awake. Emily took her downstairs and placed her in her high chair before pouring some cheerios on the tray for her to munch on. Then she cut up some banana and added it to the tray, along with a sippy cup full of apple juice.

Some thirty minutes later JJ came downstairs dressed and ready to go after waking all of the boys. Emily had just finished getting breakfast ready and was setting all the dishes on the table. Slowly the boys started filing down the stairs to the table. As they sat around the table eating Ethan almost fell asleep twice. Once they finished breakfast JJ cleaned up the kitchen while Emily took her turn to shower and get ready. By the time she got dressed and ready to go Garcia had arrived to take care of Penny. Emily came down the stairs dragging her and JJ's suitcases behind her. She saw Garcia at the bottom of the stairs and smiled.

"Hey Garcia" the brunette said half way down the stairs

Garcia turned and looked up the stairs, smiling at her friend, "Hello my raven haired beauty"

Emily made it to the bottom of the stairs and placed the two suitcases next to the front door.

"We really appreciate you staying here with Penny" Emily told her

"Oh please, it is my pleasure" Garcia replied

"Okay I'm going to run upstairs and get the other bag with our bathroom stuff in it and make sure the boys are getting everything" JJ said as she turned to head up the stairs

Garcia was holding Penny, who seemed to be in a good mood, so Emily turned to head into the kitchen to get her car keys. When she came back Henry had joined Garcia by the front door.

"Hey Henry did you get everything?" the brunette asked the seven year old

"Uh huh" he replied as he smiled up at her

Emily returned the smile as she looked at him in his cargo shorts and t-shirt with the soccer ball that she and JJ had set out for him the night before. He had added a navy blue baseball cap, which was on backwards and also sported a soccer ball on the front of it. He also had on his navy blue converse high tops on, with the shoelaces undone.

"H could you maybe tie your shoes" Emily said as she looked at his feet

"Mama"

"Henry"

"Fine" he sighed as he bent down to tie them

At that time Ethan came dragging down the stairs, pulling his red suitcase with his initials on it, along with his comic stickers of Dream, Batman, the Joker, and Daredevil. Of course he also had some stickers of Darth Vader and other Star Wars characters. As he made it to the bottom Garcia squealed.

"How's my little E?" she asked

Ethan looked up at the bubbly blonde clearly annoyed, "It's too early"

"Oh you are definitely her mini me. She's not a morning person either" Garcia said as she pointed at Emily

"Garcia" the brunette chided

"What big E, I've seen you in the mornings and I've heard stories, I know that you aren't a morning person and clearly little E isn't either"

"Garcia stop calling us that" Emily said

"What? Big E and Little E? But it's cute and I like it" she said, slightly hurt

Emily and Ethan both rolled their eyes at the same time, before Ethan shoved his suitcase next to his mothers. Emily realized when he did that, that Henry's suitcase wasn't there.

"Henry I thought you said you had your suitcase?" she asked

"I do. It's upstairs" he said as if it should be obvious

Emily sighed and turned around to fetch it when Declan came down the stairs.

"I got it" he told her as he pulled both his blue suitcase and Henry's green one behind him

"Thanks Declan" Emily told him

He just nodded as he hopped down the last couple of steps. He added his blue suitcase with his initials next to Ethan's before sliding Henry's green one, with his initials, along with his comic stickers of Batman and some soccer balls, next to the others.

JJ then came down the stairs with her and Emily's bag full of bathroom items, as well as Ethan's bag full of hats and Henry's soccer ball. As she made it to the bottom she handed the ball to Henry before setting her bag down next to the others.

"Here you go little man" JJ said as she handed the bag of hats to Ethan

"Thanks mom" he told her as he took the bag from her

She nodded before turning to Emily, "I think we have everything"

"Really? I feel like there should be more" the brunette stated

"I know me too" the blonde replied

Emily shrugged before saying, "Okay I'm going to start loading up. D?"

"Got it" the blonde teenager replied as he grabbed two suitcases, along with Emily

The two of them walked out the front door and down the walk to the driveway where Emily's suburban was parked. They set the suitcases down before Emily opened the back and they started stacking the suitcases.

"The boys didn't pack any games or books" Emily said realizing why they didn't have much stuff

"Yeah I have another bag upstairs with more clothes in it too" Declan said with a shy smile

Emily returned the smile, "Go get it. I'm going to go pack some things for the little ones"

Declan nodded before turning and heading back inside. Emily stared at the inside of the suburban before turning and walking back up the drive. While she was walking up the steps she turned to look out at the street, feeling like someone was watching her.

The man who was sitting in a car across the street stopped breathing when he saw the brunette woman turn around. He felt like she was staring right at him. But after she scanned the street she turned back around and continued to walk up the steps back into her house.

When Emily went back inside she looked at JJ, "Could you load up those two bags? I'm going to go pack some books and the video game, in case those two get bored in the car"

JJ nodded, grabbing the last suitcase and bags sitting by the door before taking them out and loading them into the back of the suburban. When she came back inside Declan was coming down the stairs with another bag and his pillow.

A short time later Emily came down the stairs with two more bags.

"Em? Seriously?" JJ questioned

"Look this backpack has comic books and reading books and the video game" she said holding up a black backpack

"And this bag has some extra clothes for both boys in it, just in case. I mean I think there's a washer and dryer there, but just in case. I really don't want to spend a day at the laundry mat" she stated as she held up a blue duffle bag

"We keep adding more stuff. Where are we going to put it all?" JJ asked

"Declan and I will put down the back seat if we have to" the brunette answered

"And make all three boys sit together for a four hour car ride? Are you crazy?" JJ questioned

"True. We will make it work. They can put some of this stuff at their feet" Emily suggested

JJ shook her head as she took the two bags Emily had. Then Emily turned to head back upstairs.

"Emily now what are you getting?"

"The boy's pillows…and mine" Emily shouted back down the stairs

"Emily!...Grab mine too" JJ yelled before turning to take the bags out to the car

Emily came back downstairs with five pillows and another bag. JJ took all of the items without even asking what was in the bag, deciding she would rather not know.

"You ladies aren't that prepared for this trip are you? Did you leave me any pillows to sleep on?" Garcia asked from the couch in the living room

"Oh, yeah, there's still two pillows left on our bed and I changed the sheets this morning so you should be good" Emily answered, "Oh and the keys to JJ's 4 Runner are in the kitchen drawer in case you need to take Penny anywhere. That way you don't have to load up this car seat into your car" She added pointing to the car seat, sitting on the floor, she had removed from her suburban the day before.

"Are we ready yet?" Ethan asked as he sat on the stairs, leaning against the wall

Emily smiled at her son who was dressed in a pair of brown cargo shorts, a red t-shirt with the words Star Wars written across it, his brown plaid converse high tops, the shoelaces untied, and a red baseball cap turned backwards with a lacrosse emblem on the front of it.

"Almost handsome" she answered before adding, "Could you maybe tie your shoes?"

He turned and looked up at her clearly annoyed.

"Please" she requested as she stared at him

He sighed before complying with her request.

'Oh yeah he's all me in the mornings' Emily laughed to herself

Declan them came back inside and Emily smiled at the teenager. He was wearing white shorts with royal blue plaid across them, along with a royal blue t-shirt with white edging around the sleeves and neckline, his royal blue and white DC skate shoes, and a royal blue baseball cap backwards with a lacrosse emblem on it and his number 11 etched into it, his wavy hair curling out under it.

"Are we ready now?" the blonde teenager asked

Before Emily could answer JJ stepped back inside and stood next to Declan. Emily smiled even wider as she noticed the two almost matched, with JJ's white capri's and royal blue spaghetti strap shirt.

"I think we're ready" the blonde woman stated as she nodded at Emily

"Okay let's load up" Emily said as she clapped her hands together

"Thank goodness. Now I can go back to sleep" Ethan stated as he stood up off of the stairs and followed Declan outside, Henry dragging behind.

Emily and JJ both hugged Garcia and gave Penny lots of kisses before they turned to walk out the door as well. Garcia carried Penny out to the front porch so they could watch everyone pile into the suburban and drive away.

"Bye baby" JJ said as she turned and waved to Penny from the sidewalk

"Bye mama" the blonde toddler replied with a wave

As the boys attempted to climb into the suburban all three began to argue about where they were going to sit. Emily had barely gotten her own door open when she had to silence them.

"Enough" she practically yelled at them from outside the SUV

She climbed into the driver's seat before turning around and facing the back.

"Declan gets the very back because he's the biggest and needs more space. You two get this row, got it" Emily said as she pointed to Henry and Ethan

"Fine" Ethan said as he climbed back over to the first row of seats

Henry climbed into his booster seat that was located directly behind JJ and grabbed his seatbelt, pulling it across him and snapping it into the buckle. Ethan situated himself directly behind Emily, snapping on his seatbelt before grabbing his pillow and sticking it between him and the door, laying his head against it and closing his eyes. JJ climbed into the passenger seat at that time and smiled at Emily before pulling on her seatbelt. Emily looked in the rearview mirror and saw Declan stretching out across the third seat, his pillow propped up behind him as he flipped his hat around so he could lay his head back against the pillow. Just as he was about to pop his ear phones in his ears, Emily called out to him.

"Declan seatbelt remains on" she said as she made eye contact with her son through the mirror

"I know" he smiled at her before popping his ear phones in

As Emily put the car in reverse, Henry was positioning his pillow so he could lay down. Just before Emily pulled into the street Henry yelled,

"STOP"

Emily slammed on the brakes causing everyone to jerk forward.

"What?" she asked as she spun around to look at the seven year old

His eyes were wide as he looked at his brunette mother, "I forgot Rory"

Emily dropped her head and sighed, thinking that it was something far worse than his stuffed lion. But she also knew that if they would have driven all the way to Virginia Beach without it, he would not have been able to sleep once they got there, which would mean the only way he would be getting any sleep was if he was sleeping with his mothers. Emily pulled the car back up the drive a little before throwing it into park and swinging open her door.

"I'll get it Em" JJ started

"I got it" Emily told the blonde as he she jumped out of the vehicle and ran up the drive and into the house

"Who forgot something?" Garcia asked from the living room as Emily jogged up the stairs

"Henry…Rory" Emily yelled from the top of the stairs

Garcia nodded to herself with a smile. Meanwhile Emily was in the boy's room looking around and she couldn't find the lion anywhere. Finally she pulled back the covers of Henry's bed and found him wedged under the covers almost stuck between the bed and the wall. She rolled her eyes as she grabbed the stuffed animal before turning to head out of the room. However as she passed the desk she saw Ethan's ipod sitting there so she grabbed it as well, sticking it in the pocket of her khaki Capri's. She stopped and gave Penny another kiss on the cheek before running out the door and back to the car. She climbed into the suburban turning in her seat to hand Henry his stuffed lion.

"Thanks mama" he said with a big smile

Emily couldn't help but return the smile as her heart melted, "You're welcome little man"

She then turned back around in her seat and replaced her seatbelt. Before she put the car in reverse she asked,

"Anyone else need anything?"

When she got no answer, she nodded to herself before backing out of the driveway. As they drove down the street and were about to turn out of the neighborhood Ethan spoke up.

"I have to go to the bathroom"

"You better be joking Ethan" Emily said

JJ turned in her seat to look at her eleven year old son and she could tell that he was serious. She turned to Emily and nodded with straight lips.

Emily sighed and dropped her head, "Okay"

She made a u turn and headed back to the house. As they pulled back into the drive Declan sat up from the very back and pulled his ear phones out.

"What's up?"

JJ turned around answering, "Somebody forgot to go to the bathroom"

"Oh" he replied before laying back down

As Emily put the suburban in park she undid her seatbelt and turned around to look at Ethan, "Really kid?"

"Sorry" he told her before unbuckling his seatbelt, opening the door, and hopping out.

She then turned to Henry, "Why don't you go too H"

"I don't need to" he told her as he started to shake his legs

"Henry Nicholas go try to use the bathroom because we are not turning around again" JJ said as she turned in her seat to look at her seven year old son

"Fine" he answered as he unbuckled himself and slid off the booster seat to the floor before climbing over to Ethan's side and jumping out the already open door

"Gotta love kids" JJ said to Emily with a smile

Emily laughed, "Hey if we're lucky we will make it there in time to see the sun set"

"Well it is almost ten thirty, so we will have to stop for lunch soon" JJ pointed out

Emily glared at her wife and JJ couldn't help but smile, "Okay I'm just kidding. I'm sure we will get there by the time the sun sets, hopefully much earlier than that"

Emily then grabbed a pen from the cup holder and turned in her seat, throwing it to the back where Declan was.

"Hey" he said as he sat up, taking his ear phones out again

"Go to the bathroom" Emily told him

"But I don't need to go" he responded

"I don't care, at least go try. I'm not stopping this car again until we stop for lunch, which will be at least two hours from now" the brunette told him

"I really don't need to go"

"Fine but don't even think about asking to go to the bathroom before lunch" she told him with a smile

"No worries mom, I'm just gonna lay back here, listen to my music, and try to sleep" he smiled at her before laying back down

Some fifteen minutes later Henry and Ethan came running back to the car, climbing back up into the suburban and climbing into their seats, buckling their seatbelts.

"Okay everyone better have everything because I am not turning around or stopping again until lunch time" Emily stated as she rebuckled her seatbelt and put the car back into reverse.

They made it out of the neighborhood and onto the highway and Emily finally sighed. JJ heard her and reached across the bench seat take Emily's right hand in her left. Emily turned to look at JJ, who was smiling, as they laced their fingers together. Emily returned the smile as she brought their laced hands up to her lips, kissing the back of JJ's hand, before setting them back down.

Two hours later Emily found a little café off of the highway so she and JJ decided to stop so they could get some lunch, stretch, and go to the bathroom. Once they woke up all of the kids they piled out of the vehicle and filed inside, sliding into a corner booth.

The waitress came over to take their orders and Henry looked shyly up at Emily, who he was sitting next to.

"Can I have a milkshake?" he asked his brunette mother with a smile

Emily looked down at the seven year old and before she could answer, Ethan spoke up from the other side of JJ.

"Me too"

The brunette woman rolled her eyes as she turned to her left to look past JJ at the eleven year old.

"Please?" he asked with a smile

Then she looked at JJ, who just shrugged saying, "I was kind of thinking about getting one also"

Emily then turned back to her right where Henry was still smiling up at her. She lifted her right hand and took his cap off of his head, placing it in his lap before running her hand through his hair.

"Fine" she gave in, causing Henry to jump slightly in his seat

She then looked past Henry at Declan and smiled, "You want one too?"

"Sure" he answered as he removed his cap as well, placing it on the free space to his right

JJ then ordered, "Okay so we will have three chocolate shakes and two strawberry shakes"

The waitress nodded as she wrote it down on her pad, before JJ ordered burgers for everyone as well. As the waitress turned to walk away JJ turned to her left, where Ethan was, and reached up to remove his hat.

"You guys know not to wear hats into restaurants'"

"This isn't exactly a five star restaurant mom" the eleven year old replied as he set his hat on his lap

JJ looked down at him and he shrugged his shoulders, "It's not"

"Okay smarty pants" the blonde said with a smile

"Well we only have about two hours left" Emily stated as she looked around at her family

"Thank goodness. We've been driving forever" Henry replied as he leaned his head back against the seat

Emily and JJ giggled at the sandy haired boy, "We've only been driving for a couple of hours H"

"Exactly! Forever" he exclaimed

Emily and JJ both shook their heads just as the waitress came back with the shakes.

"Two strawberry shakes" she said looking around

"That would be those two weirdos" JJ and Ethan said simultaneously as they pointed at Emily and Declan

Emily glared at the two of them before turning and smiling at Declan, who returned it. The waitress then set down the chocolate shakes in front of the other three. Their food arrived a short time later and Declan and Ethan both cleaned their plates, Emily and JJ close behind. Once they finished Emily and JJ sent the boys to the bathroom before they got back on the road. Emily paid for their lunch before she and JJ took turns going to the bathroom. JJ and the boys stood outside in the parking lot while they waited for Emily to come out of the bathroom. Once she walked outside she dug out the keys and tossed them to JJ as they all walked back over to the suburban.

As they all piled back inside JJ started the car. While she was pulling out of the parking lot Ethan sighed in the back seat.

"Oh man" he said

"What's wrong?" Emily asked as she turned sideways in her seat so that she could look at the brunette boy

"I forgot my ipod. I think I left it at the house"

"Oh man, well we are not driving back to get it" JJ said as she continued to drive

Emily smiled as she stuck her hand into her pocket, pulling out the eleven year olds red ipod. She dangled in the air so that he could see it.

"This ipod?" she questioned

Ethan's eyes lit up as he saw it, "You got it!"

Emily nodded with a half smile before handing it back to him, "I saw it on the desk when I went to get Roary"

"Thanks mom. You're the best" he said with a wide toothy smile

Emily tilted her head the side and smiled, "I am aren't I"

JJ rolled her eyes from the driver's seat, but couldn't bite back a smile.

Ethan stuck his earphones into his ear before laying his head back onto the pillow and closing his eyes. Emily turned and smiled at JJ with a shake of her head.

"Only a couple of hours to go" JJ said excitedly as she kept her eyes on the road

"Thank God! I'm so ready for some relaxation at the beach" the brunette replied as she leaned her head back against the head rest

"Relaxation? Em, have you met our kids?" the blonde laughed as she turned her head to catch a glimpse of her wife

Emily turned and smiled at JJ, "Yeah, but we don't have to worry about any phone calls interrupting anything. And this house is supposed to be quite big"

The brunette winked at JJ before finishing her sentence as the blonde turned her attention back to the road, "And so I was thinking all the boys on one side of the house. That way we can have the other side of the house to ourselves, to, you know, 'relax'"

JJ bit back a smile as she continued to watch the road, even though she could feel the brunettes eyes on her, which caused her to blush. Emily smiled at her wife again before she turned to face the highway and rest her head against the head rest again.

About two hours later JJ was pulling into the rental agency to pick up the keys for the house. After running inside and collecting the set of keys she climbed back into the SUV to find everyone awake. She turned around and all three boys were sitting up with questioning looks on their faces.

"Well are you guys ready to see this house?" she asked

"YEAH!" was shouted by all three and JJ couldn't help but laugh

"Okay" she responded as she put her seatbelt back on and pulled out of the parking lot

As they drove along the road they could see the ocean from their car. All three boys stared at the water with smiles on their faces. When they finally found the house and pulled into the driveway, all three boys leaped out of the car before the women could stop them. Emily and JJ looked at each other before JJ cut the engine and the two got out to follow their kids. As they walked around the back they could hear voices of laughter and yelling. When they got around to the back porch area all three boys were standing and pointing at the ocean that was in front of them. There was a small chain length fence surrounding the back part of the property due to the pool they were standing in front of at the current moment. But otherwise the ocean was just a small walk away. The two women smiled as they walked up to stand next to their kids and they could see the families already out on the beach, enjoying the day.

"This is wicked" Ethan stated as he placed his hands on top of his hat and laced them together as he shook his head

"I think that means cool" Emily said looking at JJ

"Oh it means something way better than cool in this case" Declan replied as he stood next to Emily, his hands in the back pockets of his blue and white plaid shorts

"Can we go swimming now?" Henry asked as he looked up at JJ

"As soon as we get everything unloaded" she told him

That was all it took for all three boys to turn and run back around the house to the car. As Emily and JJ turned around to follow them they both noticed the huge deck downstairs before you got to the pool, as well as the huge deck upstairs. They stood back and smiled at the house before JJ turned to Emily.

"This is amazing Em" the blonde said with a smile

The older woman turned to look at her wife, returning the smile, "Yeah, it's not too shabby, huh" the brunette joked

JJ elbowed her playfully in the ribs, causing Emily to laugh. Then she threw her arm around the blonde's neck, kissing her lightly on the cheek, before they began to walk back around the house to their car. When they came around the corner, they were greeted with the sight of all three of the boys pulling suitcases and bags out of the very back and hauling them inside. JJ and Emily both grabbed a couple of suitcases and followed the boys up to the door. JJ squeezed past them to unlock the door before everyone rushed inside.

The downstairs area was a huge game room with a pool table, ping pong table, a dart board, a big television and a couple of big chairs to sit in. Walking through a doorway they found a downstairs room with two double beds and its own little kitchen area, as well as another smaller tv. They headed back into the game room and noticed the big sliding glass door that exited onto the deck. The women turned around, followed by the boys, and they headed up some hallway stairs to their right. As they got to the top Emily turned around to look at JJ with a smile. JJ realized why as soon as she stepped into the large living area. There was a long L shaped couch that was nearly the length of the long wall, which could easily sit seven people comfortably, as well as wood floors and two small wooden coffee tables. There was a flat screen tv across from the couch, near the stairs. Emily walked to her left where there was a huge window and sliding glass door that opened up onto the back deck, which wrapped around to meet the front. As she turned around to face the rest of the family she saw the kitchen with it's dark wood cabinets and dark granite countertops. There was a long bar with three bar stools and all of the appliances were black. Just behind the bar, separating the kitchen from the living area was a rectangle dining room table that could sit six. The boys then took off to the hallway straight across from the stairs and found a room with a double bed, a bunk bed, and a couch and piled all of their stuff into that one room, while JJ and Emily went in search of the master bedroom. They found it in the hallway across from where the boy's hall was, so they were on the opposite side of the house. They walked into a room painted a baby blue with a three tone blue bedspread, with a black headboard. There was also a few white pieces of furniture, such as two nightstands, a shelving unit and a small dresser. They also had a sliding glass door that opened onto the back deck, and a window on each side of their bed. The women stood admiring the view from the sliding glass door before they began unpacking some of their clothes. Before they knew it Ethan and Henry were running into their room with their swim suits on. Both boys jumped up onto the bed in their parent's room and were bouncing on their knees.

"Can we go swimming now mommy?" Henry asked as he bounced on his knees

"Plllleeeeeeaaaaassse" Ethan begged as he stopped bouncing to flash his smile and bat his eyelashes from one mother to the other

"Okay, geeze, you two are ridiculous" Emily stated with a smile

"We have to get ready first. You two go have Declan find you some sunscreen and start putting it on" JJ told the two

The two boys shouted before jumping off of the bed, slamming the door shut behind them and running down the hall to find their big brother.

"Wow" JJ stated as she turned to face her wife, "They were in the car waaay to long today"

Emily laughed as she turned to find her bathing suit, JJ doing the same.

"Well we will just make sure they swim it all off" Emily replied as she pulled out her black two piece

JJ pulled out her blue two piece before running past Emily into the bathroom and shutting the door.

"Wow, really Jayje?" Emily laughed at her wife's antics

Emily walked over to the bedroom door and locked it before stripping down and changing into her black two piece. She pulled on a pair of black cotton shorts over the top before stepping in front of the dresser mirror to look at herself. She sighed as she ran her hand over the scar on her abdomen, which ran up past her belly button. She didn't hear JJ come out of the bathroom, but she saw the blonde's reflection in the mirror as she slowly stepped up behind the brunette, wrapping her arms around the older woman's waist and resting her chin on Emily's shoulder.

"You're beautiful Em" JJ told her as she looked into her wife's eyes through the mirror as she ran her right hand across the scar, just as Emily had done a moment earlier, "All of you"

Emily closed her eyes and shook her head as she pressed her lips together to form a tight line across her face.

"Emily" JJ said softly before placing a kiss to the older woman's neck and then to her shoulder, "I love you…all of you"

Emily leaned her head to the right slightly to rest against JJ's.

"I know" the brunette responded, "It's just…whenever I have to see it, I'm reminded of all of the mistakes I made…And it's like a part of him is always with me"

"Emily I know you wish you could get rid of it, the way you did with the branding that you had" JJ said as she ran her left hand up to brush over the very little scar tissue that remained above the brunettes left breast, which she had had removed some three years ago, "But it's a part of who you are. And when I see it, I'm reminded of how close I came to losing you. Hell I did lose you for nearly a year. And I remember to never take you or the boys, or life for granted. I love you so much Em, and it's nothing to be ashamed of. You got that by protecting those that you love…Declan, Ethan…Me and Henry…the rest of the team"

"I know" Emily responded softly as she looked at JJ through the mirror

The blonde smiled at the brunette before she grabbed Emily's hips and turned her to face her before pulling her in for a deep kiss. They were interrupted a moment later by the boys banging on the door.

"Hurry up mama"

"Yeah we don't have all day"

JJ and Emily pulled apart with a laugh, their hands lacing together. As Emily really looked at JJ, she couldn't help but smile, causing the blonde to smile as well and tilt her head to the side.

"What?" she questioned

Emily shook her head, "Nothing I was just admiring how incredibly beautiful you are"

JJ blushed slightly as she looked down at her baby blue two piece, her white cotton shorts pulled up over her bottoms.

"Okay! We better go right now or I'm going to throw you down on that bed and have my way with you" JJ said as she turned to walk towards the door

"I'm okay with that" Emily said with a smile

JJ turned back around to look at the brunette and smiled with a shake of the head, "Well I don't think the impatient ones would be too happy with that"

Emily nodded as she walked up to JJ who unlocked and opened the bedroom door. As they walked down the hall the blonde turned around and said, "But if you keep talking to me like you were earlier you might get lucky later"

Emily smiled widely as JJ winked at her before they entered the living room where all three boys were standing by the back door. Declan in a pair of blue swim shorts with white stripes on them, Ethan in a pair of black swim shorts, and Henry in a pair of red swim shorts.

"Okay everyone have sunscreen on?" JJ asked as she walked up

"Not on my back" Declan answered, "But I did both of their backs and Henry's face"

"Thanks D, okay turn around" JJ said as she took the sunscreen from the teenager

"Ethan you got it on everywhere?" Emily asked her eleven year old while JJ applied sunscreen to Declan's back

The brunette boy smiled with a nod, "Yep and I helped Henry get it on his tummy and arms and legs"

Emily nodded as she patted her son on top of the head.

"Okay let's roll" JJ said once she finished the teenager's back

"Wait!" Emily shouted as she fumbled for her phone

"What?" JJ questioned with a frightened tone, "What's wrong?"

"We forgot to call Garcia" the brunette stated, causing all the boys to roll their eyes simultaneously

"Emily, you just scared the crap out of me. I thought it was something serious" the blonde scolded

Emily looked at her wife with a bemused expression, "Our daughter isn't serious enough?"

JJ tilted her head to the side and pursed her lips, "That's not what I meant and you know it"

Emily smiled as she pressed Garcia's number. The two women stood next to each other as the bubbly woman answered, "Hello my pretties"

"Hey Garcia, how's Penny doing?" Emily asked

"She's great. My sculpted chocolate god is here entertaining her"

The women could hear the smile in her voice, which caused both of them to smile before JJ spoke up, "Okay well we were just calling to let you know we made it here. We'll call you again in the morning to see how the night went"

"Okay but you don't have to call if you don't want, you could wait until tomorrow evening so you could you read your mini me a story" Garcia told them

"Okay we'll see" the young blonde said

"Until then…give the handsome youngins a kiss for me and you guys go have some fun"

"Will do. Over and out Garcia" Emily replied

"My raven haired beauty you are talking to the goddess of knowledge, not your hunk of a man partner" the bubbly blonde stated

Emily shook her head and rolled her eyes, "Right, sorry, I don't know what made me confuse you two"

"Okay miss smarty pants I'm hanging up now" Garcia said with a giggle

"Alright bye Garcia" JJ said with a laugh at the two women

Garcia hung up the phone and when the two women turned around they found three boys standing with their arms crossed, Ethan and Declan tapping their foot impatiently. The women smiled at each other before Emily spoke up.

"Okay let's roll"

They all filed out the back sliding glass door onto the back deck upstairs as Emily grabbed the beach bag with the towels in it. They walked down a set of stairs that led to the ground by the pool. Then they walked down a short path to the beach, scanning left and right for the perfect spot. They turned to the right and walked a little ways where there was an empty area in the sand. Emily set the bag down and was getting out a towel for both she and JJ to lay on. By the time she stood back up with them, she noticed all three boys had already ran into the water. She shook her head as she laid out one towel, JJ claiming it as she took off her shorts before sprawling out on her stomach to face the water. Emily laid out the other towel before standing and staring at her wife with a smile.

"Emily stop staring at my ass and put some sunscreen on my back" JJ giggled

"I wasn't staring" Emily said causing JJ to turn her head up to stare at her, "I was merely admiring"

JJ rolled her eyes with a smile as she turned back to face the water, watching her sons play and splash in the water. Emily then knelt down beside the blonde and began to rub sunscreen on her back and shoulders.

"Will you do the back of my legs too while you're there?" JJ asked sweetly

"You're killing me Jen" Emily moaned out as she began to rub the lotion up and down the back of the blonde's legs

Once she was finished JJ rolled to her back and smiled up at Emily, "Then you will be all prepared for tonight"

With that JJ took the lotion from Emily and began applying it to her face and the front of her body. Emily shook her head as she took out another bottle and began doing the same. Once she was finished she noticed JJ was crawling towards her.

"Roll over. I'll do your back" she told the brunette

Emily complied as she faced the ocean to make sure she could keep an eye on the boys. Once JJ had finished they both laid there watching the kids for awhile, before getting up and heading towards the water. As they started heading into the water, Henry noticed and began splashing towards them, trying to get them wet sooner, and the more he splashed the more he giggled. However once the women made it into the water, he realized he had made a mistake. Emily made her way towards him and grabbed him before getting a good grip, picking him up and tossing him in the air. He splashed back into the water and when he broke the surface, a grin was spread across his face and he began to giggle again, as did the two women.

The family spent the rest of the afternoon at the beach before heading back to the house that evening. When they made it back to the house they all decided they would get cleaned up and then head down the beach to a little restaurant they had spotted while they were at the beach.

As the family started reappearing in the living room as they got ready Emily noticed Declan was wearing the same outfit he had worn earlier that day, including his blue lacrosse baseball cap. Emily was also wearing her khaki Capri's and her red tank top from earlier that day, along with her brown flats. Ethan meanwhile appeared with a pair of black shorts, a white long sleeve button down collared shirt, a black tie hung loosely around his neck, his black high top converse shoes, and his black fedora hat with the white band around the top. Emily smiled and shook her head at her son.

"Really E? We aren't going to a fancy restaurant. You could have just worn your clothes from earlier" she said as she set down on the couch next to Declan

"I know, but I didn't want to" he stated as he plopped down next to her

"Of course you didn't" she smiled and patted him on the knee

Henry then came into the room next wearing his khaki cargo shorts from earlier in the day, but was now wearing a different red t-shirt, this one with a superman symbol on the front of the shirt. He had also put a white long sleeve shirt on underneath his short sleeve one, and had his navy blue converse shoes on. As he plopped onto the couch next to Ethan Emily smiled at him.

"Well so far H, you and I are the only ones without hats on" she stated

"Yeah I didn't want to wear mine" he replied

Just then JJ came into the living room wearing her white Capri's from earlier, along with her blue spaghetti strap shirt, and her cream colored flats. But she had added her white fedora hat, with the black strap around the top, her hair kind of wavy under the hat. Emily smiled and shook her head as she looked at her wife.

"Okay are we ready? Because I am starving" the brunette said

"Me too" Declan agreed

"Yep, let's roll" JJ said as she headed towards the back door

As they all filed out nobody noticed the man sitting on the beach, who watched the family as they walked by him, heading towards the restaurant. As the family made his way past him he turned back towards the house, where two more men appeared and he nodded his head.

After having a nice seafood dinner at a relaxing restaurant on the beach the Prentiss-Jareau family was walking back down the beach towards the house. Ethan and Declan were chasing each other up and down the beach, while Henry walked between his mothers, holding their hands.

"You okay Henry?" JJ asked as she looked down at her son

He looked back up at her and nodded his head, "I'm tired"

JJ smiled down at her son before looking across at Emily who also smiled, "I bet you are little man. You did a lot of swimming today"

As they got closer to their house Ethan turned and shouted to Henry, "Come on H, we are gonna race back to the house"

Henry looked from his brunette mother to his blonde mother, both of them smiled and nodded, so he dropped their hands and took off running towards his brothers. Emily and JJ both smiled at them as JJ stepped closer to Emily and laced her hand with the brunettes, before removing her hat with her hand and resting her cheek on the older woman's shoulder. Emily tilted her head slightly to rest against JJ's head as they continued to walk along the beach, listening to the waves crash onto the shore.

"They have the key right?" the brunette asked

JJ nodded and continued to keep her head on the older woman's shoulder as they walked. When they made it to their little turn off JJ stopped them as she lifted her head from Emily's shoulder and leaned in to capture the brunettes lips in a kiss. As they pulled apart Emily smiled at the blonde who replaced the white fedora on her head.

"Did I tell you how adorable you look with that hat on?" the brunette questioned

"Nope" JJ smiled as she and Emily walked up the back porch and up the stairs to the top back deck, where they could enter the living room

"Well you look absolutely adorable" Emily told her with a smile

JJ slid the sliding glass door open, and as she and Emily stepped inside they were both laughing, until they realized how quiet it was inside the house. Both women looked up and found two men with guns pointed at the boys. Before either woman could say anything Emily felt a gun pressed up against the back of her head. She immediately stiffened and as she tried to turn to look at JJ the man with the gun pressed against her and spoke up.

"Don't move" he told her in a deep voice

She nodded slowly as she stared across the room at the boys. The men had one gun pointed at Declan and the other gun pointed at Ethan, while Henry stood nervously holding Ethan's hand. Emily made eye contact with Declan, who she could tell was super nervous. She tried to convey with her eyes that it would be okay, before moving her attention to Ethan and Henry. The seven year old appeared to have a death grip on Ethan's hand, but she could tell that the eleven year old didn't even notice because he was too busy watching the gun pointed at her.

JJ couldn't do anything at this point except look from her wife to her sons, all of whom had guns pointed at them by three men she did not recognize.

"What do you want?" JJ finally asked

As soon as the words left her mouth the man who had his gun against Emily's head, turned his attention to her quickly. He turned to the blonde and wrapped his arm around her throat, pressing the gun against her temple.

"Shut up" he told her angrily

She shut her eyes tightly before opening them back up when she heard Emily's voice.

"Don't hurt her okay" the brunette begged as she stood with her hands out in front of her

The other two men had also pulled Declan and Ethan in tightly, so Emily turned towards them as well.

"Please" she begged "Don't hurt them. Just take whatever you want and go"

The man who had JJ began to laugh, before saying, "We are here to collect you and your family. So I suggest you shut up and do what we say so that nobody gets hurt"

Emily nodded slowly, still holding out her hands to try to calm the men down, "Okay"

She made eye contact with JJ and the brunette tried to relay calmness to the blonde. Then the man who was holding her moved his gun to her.

"Move that way" he order Emily as he pointed his gun at her

Emily began to move forward, towards the center of the room. The man kept the gun on her as he dragged JJ with him, his arm still tightly around her throat.

"Sit down on that couch" he told her as he pointed to the sofa to their left

Emily turned and sat down slowly as she looked at her kids. Then he threw JJ towards the couch and she fell into it. As Emily reached out for her the man raised his voice again.

"Don't touch her"

Emily pulled her hands back and just watched as JJ regained her composure as she sat a couple of seats down on the couch.

"You two stay right there. If you move I will put a bullet through your little boys head" he said reaching for Henry

"No" JJ begged, "Please. He's just a kid"

The man jerked the seven year old into him as he held the gun against the back of Henry's head. As soon as he did the sandy haired boy began to cry.

"Shut up kid" the man told the boy angrily

"He's just a boy. You can't expect to put a gun to his head and he not cry" Emily countered back angrily

"I said shut up" the man said turning the gun to Emily

JJ watched and Emily seemed relieved when the gun was on her instead of Henry. The blonde said a silent prayer that whoever these men were that everything would end soon, and safely.

"Go get the supplies" the man ordered one of the other men

Emily watched as the man who was holding Ethan let go and turned to head into the kitchen. As Emily began to look at each of the men, she found that she didn't recognize any of them, not that that meant anything. The man holding Ethan seemed to be around fifty years old, with dark eyes, his hair gray, and he seemed to be in charge. The man who was standing with a gun on Declan appeared to be somewhere in his thirties, with brown hair and green eyes. The other man seemed to be around the same age but with lighter hair and lighter eyes.

"You two" the older man said as he pointed towards the two women, "Place your cell phones on the coffee table…slowly"

Emily pulled out hers first, followed by JJ, both women placing them on the table in front of them. Then the man turned to the three boys.

"Any of you have phones?" he asked

All three shook their heads no, but the man continued to stare at the teenager, "How old are you? Like sixteen or something? And you don't have a phone?" he asked suspiciously

"Not all teenagers have phones" Emily stated, trying to take the attention away from Declan

The man spun around to face the brunette woman, "Was I talking to you bitch?"

"Could you watch your language?" JJ requested, now equally irritated

The man turned to look at her and smiled, "Lady if you think that was bad just wait til later. You'll be begging us to use that word, instead of some of the other choice words he might have for you"

"He who?" Emily asked with curiosity

The older man spun quickly back to her, anger on his face, "No more questions! Got it! Just shut up"

The other man finally reappeared with a roll of duct tape in his hands. He started with Declan, ordering the teenager to place his hands behind his back, which he did. Then one by one everyone's hands were duct taped behind their back. Then their mouths were duct taped and they were lined up on the couch, while the men watched the clock.

Around midnight the older man nodded at the two younger ones. One of the men opened the front door and they were led outside one by one and placed in a van with a plumbing logo on the side. When they were placed inside the van their ankles were then duct taped as well. Emily was the last one loaded into the van and she was thrown in beside Ethan. They layed on the floor for awhile waiting before the front doors opened and two of the men climbed inside. She said a silent prayer as she felt the van pull out of the driveway and onto the road.

A/N: Hope you guys enjoyed and as always please, please, please review! I always appreciate it!


	9. 8

A/N: Thanks so much for the reviews, you guys rock! And some of you were spot on with your guess about who is seeking revenge, but I will let you guys figure that out as you read this chapter! :)

Ch 8

As Emily, JJ, and their kids laid in the back of the van, the brunette woman looked over to her blonde wife. As they made eye contact, JJ could see the fierce protector showing in the older woman's dark eyes. They scanned over the boys faces as well, trying to relay silently that everything would be okay. Both women were also trying to calculate how long they had been driving. When the van finally came to a stop, Emily figured they had been driving about three hours or so, and she was guessing it was around 3am, maybe a little later.

A few moments later the van door was sliding open and the three men were staring down at Emily and the others. The older man yanked the brunette woman by her foot, pulling her out to the edge, and giving her one last good yank out of the door. She twisted trying to get out his grasp, her chin and mouth hitting the edge of the van before the side of her head came in contact with the concrete ground. She made a groaning sound as her head kissed the pavement, the men laughing at her as she laid on the ground barely moving. Emily fought the blinding, throbbing, pain in her head and fought to stay awake, but everything was blurry and it hurt when she moved her head. She licked her lips as she fought to stay conscious, and as she did she could taste blood. She couldn't feel anything around her mouth but she figured the pain in her head was taking over all other sensations. One of the men kicked her in the side to flip her over onto her back. She tried desperately to look up at the man but everything was out of focus. She could vaguely hear noises from inside the van as she blinked, still trying to focus. As she did she saw a blurry figure reach inside the van and a smaller body pulled roughly out, onto the ground next to her. Emily turned her head to the side and she was able to focus enough to realize it was Ethan. What she couldn't see were his tear stained cheeks as he looked at her with dark frightened eyes.

JJ watched in horror as the man reached for Ethan and yanked him out of the van onto the pavement. She fought back the tears as she struggled with her taped bindings. Before she knew it the man was reaching back into the van and grabbing a hold of Declan, who was laying on his side facing her, tears running down his face. His eyes grew wide as he looked in horror at his blonde mother when he felt someone grab his ankles and yank him towards the door of the van. JJ's eyes grew wide as well as she attempted to yell, but was of no avail due to the tape across her mouth. She let a few tears escape as she watched her teenage son be jerked out of the van, and she closed her eyes as she heard his body come into contact with the concrete.

Once Emily, Declan, and Ethan had been pulled out of the van the older man nodded to one of the younger men. He nodded back before bending down, picking up Ethan, and throwing him over his shoulder. Then the other man bent down and cut the tape on Declan and Emily's ankles, before yanking the teenager up and pushing him towards the man who had Ethan. The older man then bent down and grabbed Emily by the arm, jerking her up to a standing position. The brunette swayed as she tried to keep her balance, which angered the man so he shoved her hard in front of him and she walked a few feet stumbling over her own feet as she struggled to focus on what was in front of her, but she kept seeing double of everything. She knew there was another man in front of her with two of the boys, but that was all she could make out. When she stumbled again, the man grew angrier and pushed her hard from behind, causing her to stumble and fall to her knees. She felt her right pants leg rip as her knees hit the ground first, before she fell all the way forward onto her stomach. She felt the man grab her roughly by the hair and yank her back up before pushing her forward again. She could make out that they were being escorted into some type of warehouse, but that was about all she could decipher. After they had all made it inside Emily could tell by the sounds that they were in a large room because of the noises echoing. As she tried to focus in on her surroundings she once again was pushed hard from behind and ended up on the ground.

"You stupid bitch, stop tripping" the older man yelled as he again grabbed her by the hair.

Only this time he continued to hold her by the hair as he continued to push her forward with a fistful of her hair. Finally she heard what sounded like a metal door being pulled open before she heard two bodies hitting the floor, which she assumed were the boys. Then she was thrown roughly inside the room, landing on the floor with a thud.

Meanwhile JJ and Henry were still laying in the back of the van, the third man keeping an eye on them, while waiting for his partners to reappear. JJ rolled over to face Henry, who was behind her. When she made eye contact with the seven year old, she could see that he had been crying, his eyes red and his cheeks stained with tears. Her eyes softened as she looked at him, before scooting closer and resting her forehead against his. A few minutes later she heard a noise behind her before she felt someone grab her ankles and jerk her toward the door. As she was being pulled she could see Henry's eyes widen in fear. Then the blonde felt her body extend in the air for a moment before she came in contact with concrete hard, the back of her head bouncing off of the ground. She closed her eyes trying to will away the throbbing pain in the back of her head before opening them and seeing a blurry figure standing above her. As she shook her head, trying to rid the blurry vision she saw the man reaching into the van, before pulling out her sandy haired son and tossing him over his shoulder. JJ immediately began to squirm on the ground. Even though her ankles were taped together she threw her feet up and connected with the man's groin, causing him to buckle at the knees. He rolled Henry off of his shoulder onto the ground and JJ reared up and kicked the man in the face, causing him to fall backwards, blood gushing from his nose. Before the blonde could move any further she felt one man grab her ankles, while another stood straddling over her.

"You stupid bitch. You'll regret that" the older man yelled at her before swinging his fist down and connecting with the left side of her face.

JJ felt her neck snap to the right when the older man's fist connected with the side of her face, but as she turned back to face him she showed no fear, instead narrowing her eyes at him. He smiled before he reached down, grabbing a fistful of blonde hair and jerking her up towards him.

"You better be careful. You're a pretty little thing and if you don't behave there's no telling what might happen to you with all these men around" he told her harshly before throwing her head roughly back towards the ground and then letting his fist connect with the side of her face once again, this time causing her to black out.

Emily had stood up and made her way over to Declan first as he struggled to sit up as he looked around the room. Brown eyes made contact with blue and he nodded his head, none of them able to speak due to still having their mouths taped. Emily then turned to Ethan who was laying on his back, his arms and legs still taped together. She made it over to her eleven year old son and motioned behind him. Ethan tilted his head backwards to see what she was pointing at and he noticed a wall. He nodded as he scooted himself backwards, towards it. Declan walked over to the other side of Ethan as the brunette boy got his hands positioned on the floor underneath him and was able to sit himself up against the wall.

Just as Emily was about to sit down next to Ethan and Declan the metal door was opening again and the brunette watched in horror as Henry was tossed inside first, his arms and legs still taped. Then seconds later the older man dropped JJ to the floor roughly, giving her a swift kick to the side which caused her to roll over onto her side. Emily was heading towards the door angrily when the man stepped back out slamming it shut. The brunette dropped to her knees next to Henry and JJ, checking on the boy first, who was on his back looking up at her with tears still running down his cheeks. She bent down and pressed her taped mouth to his forehead. Then she turned to her wife's lifeless body. Taking a deep breath she scooted a little bit closer before bending down and placing her ear next to the blonde's nose and mouth. Emily sighed in relief when she heard JJ breathing.

The brunette heard something behind her and when she turned she saw Ethan, with his hands still taped together, but they were now in front of him and he was scooting across the ground towards her. Emily marveled at her son, forgetting how flexible he was due to his break dancing. Declan then got up and walked over to Ethan, squatting down next to him. Ethan sat himself up on his knees before lifting his arms and placing them around his big brother's neck, as Declan stood back up Ethan hanging off his back as the blonde teenager walked him the last couple of feet to where the rest of the family was. When he made it next to Emily, Declan squatted back down so that Ethan could stand and remove his hands from around his brother's neck. As soon as he did the brunette boy turned and threw his arms over Emily's head and around her neck as he fell to his knees beside her. Emily closed her eyes, fighting back the tears as she leaned her head against her sons as he buried his head in her neck and held onto her tightly. She wanted nothing more than to be able to wrap her arms around him as well, but she knew that was impossible right now. He finally pulled away and removed his arms from around her before scooting over to Henry first and helping his little brother sit up. Then he turned to his blonde mother, who was laying on her left side, some of her hair hanging over her face. Ethan scooted closer to her before reaching up and brushing some of her blonde hair out of her face. Then he rolled her onto her back as carefully as he could. He saw the bruising already forming on the side of her face and turned to look at his brunette mother and he could tell by looking in her eyes that she had noticed the bruising also. He turned back to JJ and brushed his hands over her hair again before carefully grazing over her bruised face with his hands. Then he turned back to Emily and looked sadly up at her. He took his hands and reached up to the right side of her face, just above her eye, where there was blood still running down the side of her head from where she had hit her head on the ground, touching the area around it gently as he attempted to wipe some of the blood away. He let his hands trace lightly down the right side of her face to her lip which was swollen and cut, before moving his hands to her chin where there was a small cut and a bruise forming around the cut. He looked back up at her, and brown eyes met brown, and the eleven year old knew as he looked into his mother's eyes that she was telling him how much she loved him and that she was going to do everything in her power to get them out of there.

Ethan then sat down on his bottom and began working at the tape around his legs. He worked at it for a couple of minutes before he finally started to get it loose, then he was finally able to get it off. He stretched and moved his legs a little before reaching up and tugging the tape off his mouth. Then he turned back to his mother with a smile on his face. He moved closer to Emily and reached up to take the tape off of her mouth as well, revealing her smile.

"You Ethan Tyler are an amazing kid" she told him before bending forward and placing a kiss on his cheek, "Are you okay?"

He nodded, "Yeah I'm okay"

"Okay you think you can get my hands untapped?" she asked as she turned her back to him

"I'll try" he told her as began to work at the tape around her wrists

He was working with it for a few minutes before he was able to get hers undone. As soon as he did she spun around to face him again, reaching down to his wrists and working the tape off. Once she got it off, he stood up on his knees and threw his arms around her neck again, but this time Emily was able to wrap her arms around him, pulling him into her and squeezing him tightly.

"I love you little man, you know that right?" she questioned

He pulled away and looked into the dark eyes that he had inherited from her, "I know mom. I love you too"

She nodded before pointing to Declan, "Get your brother undone, I'll get Henry"

Ethan nodded as he got up and moved closer to his older brother, reaching up and getting the tape off of his mouth first, then crawling behind him to work off the tape around his wrists.

Meanwhile, Emily was squatting in front of Henry, "Hey little man. I'm going to get this tape off of your mouth and it's probably going to hurt a little, okay?"

The sandy haired boy nodded as he held contact with his brunette mother. Emily nodded as she reached up and tugged the tape off of his mouth.

"Are you okay H?"

He nodded, "I think so"

The brunette woman nodded before getting the tape off of his ankles.

"Okay turn around and I'll get your hands" she told the boy

He spun around and she began to work at the tape around his wrists. As soon as she got him free he spun back around and threw himself roughly into Emily's arms.

"I'm scared mama" he told her as he buried his head in her neck and latched onto some of her hair with his hand

Emily wrapped her arms around him tightly and closed her eyes as he held onto her hair. He used to do that when he was younger whenever he was scared of something. She turned her head enough to kiss him on the cheek as she ran one of her hands through his hair.

"I know baby, but I promise I won't let anything happen to you…any of you. Okay" she said as she turned them around to look at her other two boys who were carefully working on getting JJ free of the tape.

"Is mommy gonna be okay?" he asked as he turned his head so that he could look at his blonde mother

"Yeah sweetie she's going to be okay" Emily told him confidently

The older woman continued to hold the seven year old in her arms as she watched Declan and Ethan finally get the tape completely off of JJ. She watched as Declan brushed some of her bangs out of her face.

"Who are these people?" Declan asked as he looked over at Emily

"I don't know sweetie. I don't recognize them" she answered

"They hurt mommy" Henry stated, still in Emily's arms, as she now rocked him gently back and forth

"How are we gonna get out of here?" Ethan asked as he looked at his mother

Emily was silent for a moment before answering, "I'm not sure yet honey, let me think"

The eleven year old nodded just as they all heard a moan and realized it was JJ. Emily picked Henry up to move closer as Ethan sat up on his knees next to his blonde mother.

"Mom?" he questioned as he took her hand, "Are you okay?"

Emily knelt down next to Declan and as soon as her right knee connected with the ground she let out a hiss of pain, forgetting that she had fallen on it. She resituated herself on her bottom, Henry sitting sideways in her lap, facing JJ. As Emily looked at her knee she saw where her khaki capri leg was ripped and she could see blood still oozing from the area. She turned her attention quickly back to JJ as the blonde began to move her head back and forth slowly.

"JJ?" Emily questioned softly, "Open your eyes for me baby"

The blonde moaned again and began to mumble something that nobody could understand.

"That's it Jayje, come on baby" Emily said, encouragingly

JJ slowly opened her eyes, then closed them, before finally opening them again. As she did she began to make out bodies hovering above her. When she finally was able to focus, her blue eyes came into contact with another set of blue eyes, two sets of dark eyes, and a set of light brown eyes all staring intently down at her.

"Mom are you okay?" Declan asked

"Mommy?" Henry questioned

JJ sighed as she attempted to sit up, Declan immediately helping her. As soon as she got to a sitting position Declan and Ethan both threw their arms around their blonde mother.

"I'm okay guys" she told them

Both boys pulled away and Henry took the opportunity to spring out of Emily's lap and launch himself at JJ, wrapping both of his little arms around her neck and attaching one of his hands to some of her hair.

"It's okay sweetie" she told him softly as she kissed his cheek

"Are you sure you okay Jayje?" Emily questioned as she looked into her wife's blue eyes

JJ released a half smile and nodded, "Yeah Em"

Emily sighed slightly as she tried to give an encouraging smile to the blonde.

JJ finally asked, "Have we figured out who these guys are?"

Emily shook her head, "No and they haven't been back in here since they brought you and Henry in here. And I'm pretty sure they are going to be beyond pissed whenever they do"

"Why?" JJ questioned

"Probably because we are no longer being restrained by the tape" Declan stated as he sat down next to JJ Indian style

JJ looked around and saw tape strewn throughout the room, "How did you guys get out of it?"

The others all turned to look at Ethan, who was still sitting on his knees. JJ turned to look at him also and as she did the brunette boy just shrugged his shoulders and JJ couldn't help but smile, getting Ethan to smile as well, before she reached up with one hand and ruffled his dark hair.

The five of them eventually moved over to the wall directly across from the door, sitting down and leaning back against it. Declan sat to the right of Emily while Ethan sat to JJ's left, and Henry sat in between both of his mothers, leaning into Emily's side, while he held tightly to JJ's hand. The boys slowly let their exhaustion get the best of them, Henry falling asleep first as he leaned into Emily. Soon after Ethan laid down on the floor, curling up into a ball as he let his head rest in JJ's lap. The blonde reached down and began to run her fingers through his dark hair as he fell asleep. Declan was the last to fall asleep, and that was only after Emily told him it was okay. So the blonde teenager slouched down further against the wall and let his head rest on Emily's shoulder as he slowly succumbed to sleep as well. Emily then turned to look at JJ and they shared a slight smile.

"You can rest Jayje" the brunette told her wife

The blonde just shook her head, "There's no way I can sleep"

Emily just nodded her head in understanding.

Emily and JJ both jumped up and moved to stand in front of the boys as the door swung open and the older man stepped inside. He looked from one woman to the other before scanning the room and seeing the tape laying on the floor around the room.

"What the hell?" he said angrily

"Who are you and what do you want?" Emily asked just as angrily

The man stared daggers at her before reaching behind him and pulling out a gun and pointing it at her. Then he smiled before moving the gun to point at JJ. Emily held her hands up in surrender as she sidestepped to stand in front of JJ.

"Em" JJ begged as she began to step around, only to be shielded by Emily again

"JJ" the brunette countered in a serious tone

The older man continued to smile as the gun remained aimed at the brunette woman, "You know there are two more men outside this door that I can call in here to kick your ass"

Emily didn't flinch at what the man had said but instead continued to stare down the man.

"Get your ass over here now" the man shouted at Emily as he pointed towards the door

When she didn't move he turned the gun quickly to the corner of the room and fired a shot, causing everyone in the room, including Emily, to flinch.

"Okay, okay" she said as she moved forward towards the door

"Step outside this room to the other two men that are out there" he ordered

"Why don't I just come out after you" she suggested

"Because if you don't play by my rules I'm going to put a bullet in your girlfriends head" he stated as he turned the gun and aimed it directly at JJ, who was still standing in front of the kids.

"Okay" Emily said quickly, "I'm going"

Emily walked out of the room where there was a short hallway and the two men were waiting for her. Just as she stepped into the hallway the older man that was still inside the room kept his gun trained on JJ as he walked up to her, standing only a few inches away. Then before she knew what was happening the man backhanded with her the butt of his gun, splitting her right cheek bone open as her head snapped to the left.

Emily heard JJ let out a yelp and the kids scream once she stepped out of the room. She immediately turned to run back inside but one of the younger men stuck his foot out and tripped her. As she hit the ground on her knees, the other man hit her in the back with a pipe, causing her to cry out in pain as her body fell forward. She could just see inside the room and she saw the older man turn away from JJ and walk towards the door. As he moved just out of Emily's line of vision she saw JJ turn her head back towards the door, her right hand cupping her cheek. Before Emily could see anything else the older man was standing right in front of her head, slamming the door shut.

Emily was then yanked up by her hair and her arms were twisted behind her back before she felt the duct tape being wrapped around her wrists again. She bit her tongue at the pain as the tape was wrapped back around the fresh cuts and bruises from the previous tape. Once the men felt she was secure she was shoved from behind and led out of the hallway into the open room of the warehouse. The older man shoved her down into one of several metal chairs that was sitting in the middle of the large room. As the brunette scanned the room, she saw some random boxes scattered around, but not much of anything else. She noticed the windows around the top part of the walls which were at least twenty feet off of the ground and sun that was starting to peak through, telling her it was sometime in the early morning. She could also make out what looked to be a few different rooms that she was guessing were similar to the one she and the kids had been placed in.

While she was trying to think of some way to get her family out of this mess, she heard a voice behind her.

"Hello love" a man said from behind Emily, in an Irish accent

The brunette froze when she heard the voice and accent. Her eyes widened before she got control of herself, taking a few deep breaths to hide her emotions.

As the man stepped around in front of her Emily just stared at him before speaking, "Who are you? What do you want?"

The man stepped up and backhanded her across the face, "You only speak when you are spoken to, do you understand"

Emily did nothing to acknowledge his request except continue to glare at him as she felt the fresh blood on her lip.

"Who do you think I am Emily?" the man questioned in his thick accent

"I have no idea" she lied

The older woman could see the similarities between this man and Doyle. But she didn't remember Doyle ever saying anything about a brother when she was with him. This man was older and taller than Doyle was, at least 6'3 and he was thicker, his muscles bulging underneath his shirt. He had thick gray hair which he wore more spiked than anything. But Emily recognized what they did share, which was their facial features and their unmistakable blue eyes.

"I think you're lying" the man said as he bent down to look into her dark eyes, "I think you have an idea of who I am. You are after all a profiler"

Emily swallowed the lump in her throat as she was forced to look into the same eyes of Ian Doyle. The man smiled and Emily shuttered, noticing they had the same smile.

"You know my brother always had a thing for brunettes, but me, I prefer blondes" he said with a wink

Then he stood up and looked over Emily at the other older man, "Bring me the blonde"

"No" Emily said as she attempted to stand up from the chair, only to be shoved back down by Doyle's brother

After he shoved her down, he stepped onto her feet to keep them there as he placed his hands on her shoulders gripping them tightly. Then he nodded to the other two men who came forward and taped her legs to the legs of the chair. One of the men then undid some of the tape and began wrap it around her chest and the chair, securing her tightly so that she wouldn't be able to get loose.

"You Emily Prentiss don't get to decide the rules this time. Because of you my brother is dead" he stopped and looked up as the other older man walked towards them with JJ in front of him

As he pushed the blonde forward to stand about a foot away from Doyle's brother, JJ turned to look at Emily. The brunette could see the deep cut across the blonde's cheek and she stared at the younger woman, her dark eyes full of love, compassion, and sadness as they connected with blue eyes trying hard to hide the fear that Emily knew she was feeling.

The man brought them back to reality when he backhanded JJ across the face.

"Stop it" Emily yelled as she watched what had just happened

"You look at me" he told JJ as he grabbed her by the throat, forcing her to look at him, her hands wrapping around both of his large hands, as if she would be able to stop the pressure

JJ struggled to breathe as he squeezed her neck tighter. She then did the only thing she could think of and brought her knee up hard, connecting with his groin. He immediately let go and hissed out in pain as JJ doubled over trying to catch her breath. It didn't take long for the man to regain his composure, and as he did, he turned and grabbed JJ by the hair with his right hand before bringing his left fist back and connecting it with her jaw, before bringing it back and connecting it hard with her stomach. As she bent over in pain, he brought his knee up and connected it hard with her stomach again, before releasing her and letting her hit the floor.

"Leave her alone. It's me you want! It's my fault your brother's dead. Just let them go and you can do whatever you want to me" Emily shouted as she looked in fear at JJ who was laying on her side trying to get control of her breathing again

The man began to laugh at Emily's comment, "You think I don't know the truth about your family? There's a reason all of you are here. I plan on making you suffer Emily Prentiss, but not the way you think. Your family, the ones you love the most, are the ones who are going to pay for your past…as you watch, with no way to save them"

Emily began struggling against the tape holding her in place, which just made Doyle's brother laugh more.

"Now let me introduce you to some of my…helpers" the man said as he nodded

The other three men came forward and stood in a line as Doyle's brother began introductions.

"This here is Adam" he said pointing out the other older man

"And those two are his sons, Justin" he said pointing to the one with the lighter eyes, "And Timothy" he said pointing to the other man

JJ began to sit up from the floor and all of Emily's attention went to her. She watched in horror as Doyle's brother walked forward and yanked her up by the hair before shoving her down in one of the other chairs and dragging the chair over to face Emily's so that the two women could see each other. Then Doyle's brother took out the tape and twisted JJ's arms behind the chair, wrapping her wrists together roughly. The blonde locked eyes with the brunette and Emily nodded slightly. Once he finished he moved to stand in between the two women, breaking their connection.

"And for one of the final introductions…My name is Patrick Doyle" he said as he looked from the blonde to the brunette

Emily had heard the way he had introduced himself and curiosity got the best of her, "What do you mean one of the final introductions?"

Patrick turned quickly to the brunette and reaching his hand up, ready to strike, but then thought better and turned to JJ, striking her instead.

"Stop it!" Emily yelled as she struggled

Patrick then turned back to the brunette, "I told you not to speak unless you were spoken to"

Emily bit her tongue to keep from saying anything else. Patrick then moved out from between the two women and he began walking around them in a circle. Emily took that opportunity to connect with JJ again. The brunette looked at the blonde with sad eyes as she noticed both her top and bottom lip bleeding. JJ shook her head as she looked at Emily, letting her know she was okay and that it wasn't her fault.

"Now, if you recall, earlier I said I knew about your family" Patrick said as he continued to walk around the women

"What I meant by that is that I know about the people you call your family. The ones you work with. Like let's say Aaron Hotchner. He's your boss and he has an eleven year old son, Jack, who happens to be best friends with your son"

Emily and JJ's demeanor changed and both women jerked their heads toward Patrick, who smiled at their reactions.

"And then there's Dave Rossi, who could probably easily pass as one of your fathers…oh wait, Emily" he said turning to make eye contact with her, "You do consider him a father figure, don't you? And he thinks of you as a daughter"

Emily's dark eyes were full of hatred at this point but she bit her tongue to keep from saying anything.

"Let's see, there's also Penelope Garcia, who is currently at your house watching over your daughter, Penny, who is named after her. She's also the godmother of that little girl, as well as the godmother of your son" he said turning to look at JJ, "Henry"

"And Spencer Reid, the resident genius of the team. May be smart, but he seems to be quite the dork in my opinion, I wouldn't want him as my back up" he began to laugh

"Shut up" JJ shouted before she could stop herself

"Why don't you leave our team alone. You can do whatever you want to me, just leave them alone" Emily added, both women feeling protective of their team

Patrick just smiled before continuing, "And that leaves…Derek Morgan…the other person your daughter is named after…but most importantly, the one who killed my son…who you knew as Thompson"

Emily glared at Patrick as she spoke up, "He was a traitor"

Patrick returned the glare as he walked up behind JJ, placing his hands on her shoulders, gripping them hard. JJ stared at Emily, not sure what was about to happen, but knowing it was probably not good. Patrick then let his hands glide down JJ's front. The closer he got to the top of her blue spaghetti strap shirt, the more the blonde's breathing increased.

"Stop it! Leave her alone. I'm talking to you, you sick bastard" Emily shouted at Patrick as she was forced to watch in horror as he slid his hands into JJ's shirt

Emily fought back the tears, but her face clearly showed the hurt and sadness she was feeling. JJ kept her eyes trained on Emily, fighting back the tears as well, as she tried to put on a brave face.

"Please" Emily begged

Patrick finally relented, removing his hands from inside JJ's shirt and looking across at the brunette with a smug smile on his face, which only angered Emily more.

He then began to walk around them in circles again as he continued to talk, "Okay let me continue…Besides your team, there are some other things I would like to clear up and let you know about"

He stopped as he stood to the side of the two women where he could see both of their reactions, "For example…I know you two adopted Declan. I also know that Ethan is my brother's son, which I do find hard to believe because he looks nothing like him, unlike Declan. But I'm willing to bet that Ethan might be more like his father than anyone has cared to admit."

"He's nothing like Ian" Emily spat

Patrick just smiled at the brunettes outburst, "Really? Because I was told that when he was six years old, that it was him who shot my son before Agent Morgan finished him off"

Emily glared at Patrick, "He was just trying to save Morgan's life"

"Ah, yes, but I'm willing to bet that if he was able to do that when he was six, there is so much more he is capable of now. I just have to decide whether I'm willing to get over the fact that he shot my son…and the fact that he is a carbon copy of you"

"Leave them alone, they didn't ask for any of this" JJ said harshly

"No they didn't, did they?" Patrick replied as he turned to focus on the blonde, "But because of her" he said pointing at Emily, "They are a part of this twisted game"

"Now I am going to meet my nephews…and try to decide what to do with the other one in there" Patrick said, referring to Henry

"Don't you touch them" JJ shouted as she began to struggle against her taped restraints

Patrick just laughed, "Sweetheart the older two I won't have to touch at all to make them do what I want. I'm simply going to give them an ultimatum…they can do what I ask or they can watch me kill their mothers"

"You bastard, I can't wait to get my hands on you" Emily threatened

"Well Ian always did say you were a feisty one, especially in bed" he told the brunette with a wink, "Unfortunately, like I told you earlier, your girlfriend here is more my type"

"Adam will you guys help escort these two ladies to their new quarters" Patrick ordered

The three other men came forward and undid JJ and Emily from the chairs, leaving their wrists taped behind their backs. Then the older man led JJ in one direction, while the other two men led Emily in the opposite direction. They were both placed in a separate new room, similar to the one they were in previously.

The older man, Adam, then went back to the room where the boys were. He opened the door and found all three boys sitting on the ground, leaning against the wall.

"You, in the middle" he shouted at Declan, "Get over here"

"Where's our moms?" Ethan shouted as he jumped up before Declan

"Shut up kid" Adam yelled back

Declan stood up and placed a hand on Ethan's shoulder. The younger boy looked up at his brother and understood the look he was giving him. The brunette boy fought the urge to say anything else, trying instead to leave things in the hands of Declan.

As Declan walked towards the door, Henry jumped, "No D, don't leave us" he cried

Ethan wrapped his arms around Henry, holding him back from running to their oldest brother. Declan turned and looked sadly back at both of them, before walking out the door. As the door was slammed shut Henry sank to the ground.

"What's gonna happen to us now?" Henry questioned as tears began to run down his face

Ethan sat down beside him and placed an arm around the seven year old's shoulders, "It's okay H, I won't let anything happen to you. I promise"

Henry slowly nodded his head as he leaned his head onto his brother's shoulder, "But what if they come take you too"

"I promise I will do everything I can to protect you Henry, okay" the brunette boy stated

As they leaned back against the wall Ethan couldn't help but wonder where his mothers were and where they were taking Declan.

Adam led Declan into the large main room of the warehouse where he was pushed into a metal chair. He began to look around, scanning the area for any sign of JJ or Emily. Suddenly a man appeared in front of him and the blonde teenager gasped.

"Hello Declan. Do you remember me?" Patrick asked as he looked down at the young man

The teenager looked up at the man and shook his head no. Patrick continued to stare down into blue eyes.

"I bet if you think hard enough you'll remember me" the older man stated

Declan swallowed the lump in his throat, willing himself to be brave, "I don't know who you are, okay. Now where are my moms?"

"You look just like him, especially the eyes" Patrick told him

Declan's eyes narrowed as he replied, "I'm nothing like him"

"You haven't seen me since you were three, so you probably don't remember me. I'm your Uncle Patrick"

Declan shook his head, "I don't have an Uncle Patrick"

The man took a step forward, before stepping back again, trying to control his temper, "You do. Your father, Ian, was my little brother"

"Go to hell" Declan said trying to show strength even though his entire body was trembling

That was the last straw for Patrick, he brought his hand up backhanding Declan across the face with his right hand before swinging his left fist into the teenagers face as well, knocking Declan off of the chair and onto the floor. He laid on the floor, his right hand cupping his eye and cheek, trying to fight back the tears.

"Get up" Patrick shouted at the teenager

Declan slowly sat up, still holding his face when Patrick shook his head, "I do remember Ian saying you were too sensitive. Now I know what he meant. Despicable"

Declan remained sitting on the floor a moment, before he pushed himself off of the ground to stand.

"I'm more than my father ever was and there is nothing you can say or do that will change that" the blonde teenager stated

"Those women have poisoned you" Patrick replied

"Those women are my mother's" Declan countered

"No they are not!" the man shouted, making Declan flinch, "I don't want you to speak of them anymore, do you understand? If you do, I will not hesitate to end your youngest brother's life. Are we clear?"

Declan gulped and nodded his head in understanding.

"Good. Take him back to his cell" Patrick ordered Timothy

A few minutes later Declan was shoved back into his cell with his brothers. Henry immediately got up and ran over to the teenager, throwing his arms around his waist.

"It's okay Henry" Declan said as he wrapped his arms around his little brother, "It's okay"

Ethan watched the interchange as he slowly got up from the floor, and he also noticed the bruising across Declan's right eye and cheekbone. As Declan and Henry made their way towards the eleven year old, Ethan smiled slightly at the older boy, Declan returning it. The teenager patted the brunette boy on the back, before squeezing his shoulder gently. Ethan let his arm wrap around Declan's waist for a moment before releasing it as the three slumped back down against the wall, Henry between the two boys.

"I want mommy" Henry stated sadly

"I know H…me too" Declan replied as he pulled his little brother against him

Meanwhile Emily sat on the floor of her cell, her back against the wall. She was so worried about everyone it was hard for her to think clearly. These men, Patrick in particular, had clearly done their research before they chose to act, which definitely made them more dangerous.

She was brought out of her thoughts by the sound of the door being unlocked and opened. She got to her feet as Patrick came through the door a smug look on his face.

"It's time you met our last guest" he told her

Emily walked towards him slowly, her arms still taped behind her back. He grabbed her by the arm and forced her forward roughly. As she was brought back into main room, she saw JJ being shoved the same direction by Adam. They were both forced down into the same metal chairs from earlier. A few minutes later they heard shuffling, before they watched Declan be shoved in front of them. Both women sighed, thankful he was alright, until they noticed his cheek and eye as he threw his hair out of his face.

"What did you do to him?" JJ asked angrily

"Nothing he didn't deserve" Patrick answered, "Right Declan" he questioned as he slapped the back of the teenagers head

"Leave him alone" Emily shouted

"Shut up" Patrick shouted back before shoving Declan down into a chair between the two women

"D are you okay?" JJ asked first as she turned to look at her son

He nodded but didn't make eye contact with her.

"Shut up! No talking to each other" he told them

"Where are our other boys?" Emily asked as she looked at Patrick

"What's about to happen doesn't concern them" he replied

"Okay bring her in" he told Adam

Emily and JJ both held their breaths afraid of who might walk in front of them, both women silently praying that it wasn't another loved one. Instead a woman, about 5'4, 5'5, with dark hair and blue eyes stepped in front of the three of them, an evil smirk across her face.

"Ladies meet Chloe" Patrick said before turning to the two women, "Chloe meet Emily and JJ, the women who have been raising your son"

"Excuse me?" JJ replied

"What?" Emily said at the same time as JJ

"This is Chloe and she is Declan's real mother. We met up in Europe to plan our revenge" Patrick said with smile

"Declan's mother was Rebecca O'Brien" Emily stated, "A woman your brother killed two months after giving birth to him"

"And that's where you are wrong Agent Prentiss" Chloe spoke up with a strong Irish accent, "Rebecca did give birth to one of Ian's children, but that baby died, he was smothered in his sleep when he was two months old and that is when Doyle killed her. However that was not Declan, because I gave birth to him even though I didn't want to. I tried to kill myself and him before he was even born, but Ian stopped me."

Emily and JJ just stared at the woman who had just openly admitted to not wanting anything to do with her son.

"Then what the hell do you want with him now?" Emily asked

"Revenge" she answered simply

"Hello son" Chloe said as she bent down in front of him

Declan leaned back and away from her as she bent down in front of him, "I'm your mum"

The teenager shook his head, "No you're not"

Chloe stood up as she looked down at the boy she had given birth to sixteen years ago, "After all the hell I went through to bring him into this world and he ends up looking more like his father than me…so disappointing"

"He is nothing like you or Doyle" JJ replied, finally speaking up

"Oh shut up, no one is talking to you love" Chloe said as she looked JJ up and down

"Did you take care of what I asked you to do?" Patrick turned questioning Chloe

She turned to face him and nodded, "Yes. One family member down, four more to go"

"Excellent" he replied with a smile

He turned to face the three hostages in the chairs as he filled them in on what had happened, "Looks like one of your team members is no longer a part of this world"

"You son of a bitch! What did you do?" Emily shouted as she stood up out of the chair, JJ following suit

"Nothing that they didn't deserve" he replied, "Would you like to know who our first victim was?"

"Who?" JJ asked with a gulp

Patrick smiled smugly as he looked from the blonde to the brunette, "Derek Morgan"

"Nooo" Emily shouted as she ran at Patrick Doyle only to receive a knee to her stomach

As she fell to the ground, Patrick made sure to deliver another rough kick to her ribs, flipping her onto her back.

"Stop" Declan yelled as he jumped out of his chair and ran towards Emily

Before he could make it to her he found a gun in his face as Chloe stepped in front of him, "Where you going love?"

"I just want to make sure she's okay" he told her

"She's not your concern anymore" Chloe told him

"You killed my Uncle" Declan stated as he stared into his birthmothers eyes

"He's not your Uncle. I am" Patrick stated

"He was more of an Uncle than you ever were or could be" Declan spat back

"Declan!" JJ shouted as she too made her way forward only to be grabbed by Adam

"Enough!" Patrick shouted, "Just take all of them back to their cells so we can follow through with the next plan"

Adam then jerked JJ away leading her back to her cell, while Patrick leaned down and grabbed Emily by the hair, yanking her up to a standing position.

"Leave her alone" Declan said as he stared at Patrick

"That's the last thing I'm going to do son" he replied before shoving her forward towards her holding cell

Lastly, Declan was led away, only this time he was also placed in a separate room, instead of being taken back to his brothers.

"Wait, I need to go back to my brothers" he said as he turned to face Chloe

"They are no longer your brothers…well I guess one is, but I don't think that will be for much longer" she told him with smile, "I guess we will wait and see"

With that she slammed the door shut, leaving Declan alone. As he sat down on the cold hard floor he prayed that Morgan was still alive and okay and that Patrick and Chloe were only bluffing.

* * *

><p>AN: Okay so this wasn't as long as I wanted it to be but I wanted to update for you guys as soon as possible! And two of you guys read my mind as far as JJ (I tried to put your names in here but it wouldn't let me). I know in this chapter Emily got a little beat up as well as JJ, but I intend to have JJ be just as protective of Emily and the boys as Emily can be with everyone, if that makes sense!


	10. Chapter 9

A/N: I am so sorry it has been so long since I updated. I had complete writers block. Ugh, I hate it when that happens. On top of that I nearly cut the end of my finger off, so I had stitches on the end of my finger, which made it very difficult to type. Luckily, the stitches have now been removed and I was finally able to finish this chapter. Hope you enjoy.

Ch 9

Garcia woke early after her first night with Penny. Kevin had stayed the night as well and when Garcia walked into the kitchen, with the nearly two year old in her arms, she found her boyfriend already cooking breakfast. Garcia smiled at the man she had fallen head over heels for. Kevin turned and found Garcia standing in the kitchen, a sleepy toddler in her arms. He smiled at her and she returned it.

"How did I get so lucky?" the bubbly blonde asked

"I think that should be my question" he replied

Garcia smiled even wider before placing Penny into her high chair. She looked at the clock and saw that it was 730am. She began thinking about her friends, hoping that they were having a wonderful time at the beach. She was sitting at the kitchen table with a cup of coffee in hand when her cell phone rang. Thinking it was probably one of her worried friends she got up and made her way over to the bar, reaching for the phone with a smile, ready to ward off the overprotective mothers whom were two of her best friends. She didn't even look at the caller ID as she answered the phone.

"Listen up my sexy ladies, your little one is just-"

She was cut off by Hotch, "Garcia, listen to me, there's been a shooting"

Garcia's voice paled as her boss interrupted her and she braced herself for what was about to come.

"Who?" she asked, her voice cracking

"Morgan" he answered

"Oh my God" she gasped as she sank onto a bar stool

Kevin was immediately by her side and she could feel his presence beside her, his hand on her shoulder.

"What happened?" she managed to ask

"I don't know all of the details yet, but he's in surgery at St Matthew's Hospital, Rossi and I are on our way right now. I'm getting ready to call Reid"

"I'll meet you there" she told him

"I can't seem to reach JJ or Prentiss" Hotch informed her

"I'll try them on my way" Garcia said

"Okay" Hotch replied before hanging up

Garcia then jumped up off of the bar stool, scooping Penny up out of the high chair and making her way towards the stairs, before Kevin stopped her.

"Pen what happened?" he asked in a concerned tone

"Derek…he…he was shot" she told him, the tears now threatening to fall

"Baby I'm so sorry" he said as he pulled her against him, careful not to smother Penny between them

Garcia let the tears now freely fall as the conversation finally consumed her and reality hit home.

"Oh my God Kevin, what if…what if he dies?" she cried into his chest

"He's not going to die Penelope, he's strong" Kevin said, trying to ease her worry but not being sure how badly the dark agent had been hurt, he didn't know if he was telling her the truth or not.

"I have to get to the hospital" she said suddenly frantic again

"Okay and I will get you there, but we all need to get dressed, and Penny needs to eat something" he told her as he reached for the blonde toddler, taking her from Garcia

"I'll feed her and you go get dressed okay" he told her

Garcia nodded as she turned to head up the stairs. On her way up she remembered she was supposed to try to get a hold of JJ and Emily. She dialed the blonde agent's number first, her phone ringing till it went to voicemail. She then tried Emily's only to find it going straight to voicemail. She shook her head in frustration at her friends. She knew they were probably still asleep and didn't have their phones near them since they were on vacation, but it didn't stop her from being angry.

They were out the door a little over thirty minutes later, Kevin driving JJ's four runner since it had the car seat in the back. They arrived at the hospital and Garcia rushed in, heading directly for the nurse's station, while Kevin hurried in behind her with Penny in his arms and a baby bag thrown over his shoulder. A nurse finally directed them upstairs to a different floor.

The two got off the elevator on the third floor and as they rushed around the corner they came face to face with Hotch and Rossi, Reid sitting in a chair with his head down.

"How is he?" Garcia questioned

Rossi placed a comforting hand on her shoulder as he stepped closer to her, "He's still in surgery, but it doesn't look good. He was shot in the upper left chest, it missed his heart by an inch and he lost a lot of blood"

Garcia paled and would have collapsed if Hotch and Rossi wouldn't have been there. They helped her over to the chair next to Reid as she let the tears once again fall.

Kevin stepped up beside the older men and asked, "What happened?"

Hotch shook his head, "The police weren't sure. Derek wasn't conscious when they and the paramedics arrived. One of the neighbors said they heard the gunshot and looked out the window and saw a dark car speeding down the road"

"They think it was a drive by?" he questioned as he shifted Penny to his other arm

Garcia was listening and finally joined the conversation, "Random?" she asked

"At this point that's the way it looks. They shot up some cars on the street too, but no one else was injured" Hotch said nodding his head

Reid finally looked up as well, clearly distraught, but he asked the other question nobody else had yet, "Did anyone get hold of JJ and Emily?"

Everyone turned to one another and the two older agents looked back at Garcia, who shook her head, "I tried but JJ didn't answer and Em's phone was off"

"I'll try them again" Rossi said as he turned to walk down the hallway

As he hit the speed dial for Emily he felt the anger rise slightly within him when her phone went straight to voicemail, just as Garcia had said. He hung up and tried JJ, her phone ringing, but finally going to voicemail as well.

He left the blonde a message, hoping she would get back to them soon, "JJ it's Rossi. Call me as soon as you get this…there's been a shooting"

He hung up as he turned to walk back over to the rest of the team, shaking his head at them as he answered their silent question.

"Why aren't they answering?" Reid asked as he looked from Hotch to Rossi

"I'm sure JJ just doesn't have her volume all the way up. They'll call as soon as they get the message" Rossi told him, trying to convince the younger agent the reason for the two women not answering

"When was he shot?" Garcia asked, looking up at her boss

"A little over an hour ago. My guess was he was leaving to head to work" Hotch answered

The team members finally moved from the hallway into the waiting room just down the hall. Kevin handed Penny off to Rossi who sat with the toddler on his lap, trying to keep her entertained, and keep his mind off of things while they waited impatiently for the doctor to update them on Morgan's status.

Two and a half hours later the doctor finally stepped into the waiting room. The team all jumped out of their seats, including Rossi, who now held a sleeping toddler in his arms.

The doctor nodded at them before he began speaking, "Agent Morgan sustained a gunshot wound to his upper chest and lost a lot of blood in the process. While we were trying get the bullet out he coded on the table"

There were collective gasps around the room before the doctor continued, "But we were able to get him back and get him stable. We finished retrieving the bullet and patched him up. He's still in critical condition and will stay in ICU for at least tomorrow. We will decide where to go with him once he wakes up."

"And when will that be?" Hotch asked

"He's still heavily sedated and will most likely not wake up until tonight, maybe, depending on how his body responds to the trauma"

"Can we see him?" Reid questioned

The doctor nodded as he looked around at the team, "Only two at a time and no kids, okay"

The team nodded and before the doctor turned around to leave Hotch stopped him.

"Thank you" he said sincerely as she shook the doctor's hand

The doctor nodded before turning and walking out of the waiting room.

Hotch turned and nodded at Rossi. The older man handed Penny carefully off to Kevin, who sat back down in a chair. Rossi then turned to Garcia.

"Would you like to go see him now?" he asked

She nodded frantically as she hurried out of the waiting room, Rossi hot on her heels. After direction from a nurse in ICU they found his room. Garcia stopped in her tracks and gasped as she spotted the dark agent through his large glass window looking into his room. He was laying on his back hooked up to several machines.

Rossi took her arm in comfort, "He's going to be okay Garcia, he's strong…and stubborn. It could have been a lot worse. Come on"

He led her into Morgan's small room as they walked up beside the bed. Garcia reached down and took the dark agent's hand in her own, squeezing it gently.

"You better be okay Derek Morgan, cause I don't know what I'd do without you, do you hear me" she said to him

"Besides if you don't hurry up and get better Emily and I are going to kick your ass" Rossi said with a small smile

As Rossi stared down at the younger man he couldn't help but think about the past and how long it took for both of them to get to a point of trust. They had heated words when Rossi first joined the team and they usually had differing opinions about things, but they had both grown to respect one another. One thing that had led to that was Emily. The brunette agent had a special relationship with both men and they both knew that. Rossi noticed from day one with this team that the two profilers had a special bond. At first he thought there was more to their relationship than just being partners, but after getting to know them a little better and spending more time with them he realized that they were just best friends, and two people who had some major trust issues. He knew that the dark agent would give his life for his brunette partner without thinking twice and vice versa. And Morgan had noticed ever since the incident with Emily's childhood friends, Matthew and John, that Rossi had become more protective of the brunette in a fatherly way. The dark agent had noticed how involved Rossi was with that case and how he did everything in his power to help Emily and he had a great amount of respect for him after that.

As Rossi came out of his reverie he began to think about the brunette, wondering if she or JJ had called anyone on the team back yet. He looked at his watch, noticing that it was just after 11am now and the first time they had tried calling the two women was around 730 that morning.

"Get better kid. I'm going to need you around to argue with about things" the older man said as he looked down at Morgan one last time

Garcia nodded at Rossi, knowing they needed to leave the room so Hotch and Reid could come back. She bent down and kissed Morgan on the cheek and whispered,

"I'll be back soon my chocolate god"

Garcia and Rossi made it back to the waiting room and Garcia immediately took the seat next to Kevin. Hotch and Reid then got up and headed out of the waiting room to go see Morgan.

Once everyone was back in the waiting room Hotch looked around the room before shaking his head, "Something isn't right"

"What do you mean?" Reid asked as he sat in a chair next to Rossi

"Something just doesn't feel right" he replied as he placed his hands on his hips and looked down at the ground

It was now close to noon and nobody from the team had heard from Emily or JJ yet. Rossi excused himself from the waiting room as he stepped out into the hall, hitting Emily's speed dial again. He once again received both women's voicemail. He took a deep breath as he squeezed the phone in his hand before turning and walking back into the waiting room.

"I agree with Hotch. Something isn't right" Rossi stated as he held up his phone, "The girls still aren't answering"

Hotch turned from Rossi to look at Garcia, "When was the last time you talked to them?"

"Um…uh…yesterday afternoon...after they had gotten unpacked. They called to check on Penny" Garcia said as she fumbled for words

"And they sounded okay?" Rossi asked as he stared at the normally bubbly blonde

Garcia nodded, "Um, yeah, they were getting ready to take the boys swimming"

"Were they supposed to call you today?" Rossi questioned, with a slightly harsh tone

"They said that they might call this morning…but if not they would call tonight…that way they could read Penny a story…oh my god, I told them not to call until tonight" Garcia answered

"Okay, hey, Garcia" Rossi said walking up and squatting down in front of her, "Listen to me. Just because they haven't called back doesn't mean anything, okay. They are probably just away from their phones, at the beach with the boys"

"I know you are just trying to make me feel better" Garcia said, "but don't you dare lie to me David Rossi"

Rossi nodded as he stood up, "Okay somebody should stay here with Morgan. The rest of us should go check out the scene"

"You mean where Morgan was shot?" Reid asked

Hotch nodded, "Yes. Reid, you, Rossi, and I will go to the scene. Garcia could you trace Prentiss and JJ's phones? Just to make sure they are at the beach house?"

"Yes sir" she answered as she got up, turning and scooping Penny up in her arms

Hotch then turned to Kevin, "Would you mind hanging out around here just to make sure everything is okay with Morgan. In case he wakes up"

"Of course" Kevin replied

"Okay. Let's go" Hotch ordered as he turned to head out of the waiting room, Reid, Rossi, and Garcia following him

Reid and Rossi climbed into Hotch's car with him to head to Morgan's house, while Garcia strapped Penny into her car seat in the back of JJ's Four Runner, before climbing in and heading to the office.

When Hotch pulled up in front of Morgan's house all three profilers took a deep breath before getting out of the car and walking up to the yard, which had been taped off. There were officers posted at the front and all three men showed their credentials before ducking under the tape and walking up the sidewalk.

They stared down at the pool of blood that had stained part of the sidewalk, as they imagined Morgan laying partly on the sidewalk and partly on the grass.

"Okay" Rossi said as he turned and walked down the front walk, re-enacting what Morgan would have done that morning, "So I'm walking down to my car"

Hotch turned to Rossi, while Reid studied the neighborhood road, "He didn't have time to use his weapon" the young genius stated

"Well it happened so fast" Rossi replied as he made his way to where Hotch was still standing

"Reid's right. If it was a drive by someone on this street was a target. Morgan's house is right in the middle of these houses and nobody else was injured. The only other things hit were cars on the street." Hotch pointed out

"Are you saying Morgan was the target all along?" Rossi asked as he looked at the team leader

The dark haired agent thinned his lips in anger as he nodded his head.

"But why?" Reid questioned

"That's what we need to find out" answered Hotch, before he turned and headed up the walk and inside Derek Morgan's house

As the three men walked around the living room of their colleague, they all thought back to two years prior when Morgan had first bought and moved into this house. They had all been invited over for a move in party, but as the men looked around, Hotch and Rossi realized that they had not been to this house since then. The two older men turned and followed Reid into the kitchen, where they watched the young genius look around, before staring at the refrigerator. Hotch and Rossi both noticed that he was staring at different pictures that were stuck to the doors of the stainless steel fridge. Hotch and Rossi both looked closer and noticed that the majority of the pictures were of the team. There were a few of Derek's mother and sisters, as well as a young niece and nephew who had been born a little over a year ago, as twins, to his youngest sister. But the majority of the pictures were of Reid, Garcia, Emily, JJ, even Kevin, and all of the kids. Even Hotch and Rossi were in some of them.

"Okay spread out" Hotch ordered as he turned to walk out of the kitchen and up the narrow staircase

When he reached the top he turned down the narrow hallway, walking past the first bedroom, which he knew was used as a guest room, before passing the next small room, peeking in it and finding it to be used as an office space. Hotch stopped at the last bedroom which he knew was the master, stepping inside and looking around. He didn't notice anything that looked out of place or off.

The bed was neatly made, the nightstand beside the bed containing only a small lamp and an alarm clock. Hotch imagined Derek waking up to the alarm that morning, turning it off and rolling out of bed, before heading into the bathroom. Hotch turned and walked into the master bathroom, which contained a short bathroom counter, one sink and a claw foot tub/shower. The team leader shook his head, knowing when it came to houses that Emily and Derek had the same taste, liking the older homes. Hotch looked around, nothing seeming out of place, before walking back into the bedroom. He turned and walked over to the dresser. Hotch noticed a few picture frames and as he looked at each one, he felt his anger begin to boil at the person who had shot his team mate and friend. He scanned the pictures, one containing Derek, his mom, and his sisters. Another containing the entire team at the Christmas party two years ago. One picture was a funny one of Garcia and Morgan, huge smiles on their faces. Then there was one of Morgan, Reid, and Prentiss, Reid hanging on Morgan's back, obviously laughing, while Morgan had his arms tightly around Emily's waist, holding her slightly off the ground, as her head was thrown back in laughter and Morgan's head bent slightly, also laughing. Hotch remembered that day. Everyone was at his house for a barbecue and Morgan and Emily had gotten into it, beginning a fight, which was all in fun, until Morgan ran after Emily. Reid joined in, trying to defend Emily's honor, and as Morgan had caught Emily, Reid had launched himself onto the dark agents back. Hotch remembered all of them laughing and Garcia snapping the picture as quickly as she could.

Hotch then picked up the last picture. He stared at it, a smile crossing his face as he looked at Morgan standing in a stance with his arms up flexing. Declan was standing directly in front of him, the exact same stance as Morgan. From each of Morgan's arms there was a child hanging. Jack was holding onto Derek's left bicep, while Ethan hung from Derek's right one. And perched on Morgan's shoulders was Henry who had his arms up, flexing them just as Morgan and Declan were. That was taken about six months after Emily had officially adopted Declan. Jack and Ethan were about seven in the picture, Declan was twelve, and Henry had just turned four. Hotch heard someone walk up behind him and guessed who it was.

"None of this makes sense Dave" the leader stated as he turned around, the picture of Morgan and the kids still in his hand

Rossi nodded as he walked up next to Hotch and looked at the pictures on the dresser before taking the one from Hotch's hand and looking at it. He smiled slightly before setting it back down on it's place on the dresser.

"We are going to figure it out Aaron" Rossi said, trying to be as convincing as possible

"You're damn right we are. And we aren't stopping until we do" Hotch stated as he turned to leave the bedroom, "There's nothing out of place here. Let's meet up with Garcia"

Rossi turned and followed Hotch out of the bedroom, down the stairs, and out of the house.

The three men walked into the BAU and headed straight for Garcia's office. Without even knocking, Hotch swung open the door and barged in, causing the bubbly blonde to jump in her seat.

"Did you trace JJ's phone?" Hotch asked as he led the other two men into the office

The blonde nodded, "Yes and it's showing that they are at the house at Virginia Beach, where they are supposed to be"

Hotch nodded, "Okay. Despite that, Dave, I want you and Reid to fly down there and check on them, just to be sure. You can take the jet, it will save time"

Rossi nodded as he and Reid turned and walked out of Garcia's office. Hotch then turned back to Garcia who was staring at Penny sitting on the floor playing with some toys.

"Garcia I'm sure they are okay, but I just want to make sure" he said as he walked a little closer and knelt down in front of the toddler

The blonde little girl looked up at Hotch and smiled widely, her eyes lighting up in the same bright blue as her mothers. Hotch smiled briefly at the child before standing up and turning serious again.

"You can go back to the hospital now, if you want" Hotch told Garcia before adding, "And feel free to drop Penny off with Jessica and Jack. That way you don't have to keep hauling her around"

"But I promised-"

Hotch cut her off, "Garcia, with everything that has happened with Morgan I'm sure that they won't mind"

Garcia nodded as Hotch walked out of her office. Then she turned to look at the toddler. She got up and scooped the blonde headed girl into her arms, throwing the baby bag over her shoulder and heading out of her office.

Hotch retreated to his office to try and think more clearly about the events that had unfolded in the last twelve hours. He closed his eyes as he sat down at his desk, silently praying that Emily, JJ, and the kids were okay.

Garcia dropped Penny off at Hotch's house, where Jessica was watching Jack. The two women talked for a few minutes before Jack came bounding down the stairs.

"Hi Aunt Pen" he said with a smile

Then he smiled even bigger when he saw Penny, "Hi Penny"

The toddler smiled brightly at the eleven year old and reached her hands out to the brunette boy, "J"

Jack laughed as he took the small blonde girl from Garcia's grasp. But as he did he noticed that his aunt and Garcia appeared to have been in a serious conversation.

"What's wrong?" he asked as he looked from one woman to the other

The women just looked at each other before Jack spoke up again, "Guys I'm not dumb. I know something is wrong. Is my dad okay?"

"Yes Jack, your dad is fine" Jessica reassured him

"Then what is it?"

The two women stood in silence, debating internally about whether or not to tell him about Morgan.

"Guys?" he questioned again

"Morgan was hurt this morning and he's in the hospital. So I'm dropping Penny off to hang with you guys for awhile so that I can go see him again" Garcia informed the eleven year old

"Is he okay?"

Garcia looked at Jessica who took over answering that question, "Not really sweetie. He was shot this morning and he had to have surgery"

"What?" Jack said raising his voice and looking from one woman to the other

"He made it out of surgery and they are just waiting for him to wake up" his aunt reassured him

"You've known about this all day and you didn't tell me?" Jack replied, the hurt and anger evident in his voice

"Sweetie your dad and I thought it would be best to wait until we knew more" Jessica told him

"I'm not a baby. I can handle it"

"I know…I'm sorry I didn't tell you sooner"

Jack was silent for a moment as he jiggled Penny on his hip and looked into her blue eyes. Then he turned and looked back up at his aunt and Garcia.

"How did he get shot? Dad didn't say they were working on a new case"

Jessica looked at Garcia who looked down at the boy, "He was walking to his car"

"So they weren't working on a case?" Jack asked, looking for clarification

Garcia shook her head.

"Did they catch the guy?"

Garcia shook her head again, "Not yet"

Jack looked down at the ground before looking back up at Garcia, "Can I come up to the hospital later?"

"Sweetie, he's in ICU and kids under fourteen aren't allowed in, so there is no reason for you to be there" Jessica told him as she reached out and brushed some of his light brown hair out of his eyes.

"But I bet Ethan is going to get to go up there" he stated

Garcia then looked at Jessica with shocked eyes. She hadn't gotten a chance to fill the woman in on the fact that they couldn't get hold of Emily and JJ. She looked back down at Jack quickly as she came up with an answer.

"They are on vacation, honey, so I'm sure Ethan won't be at the hospital" Garcia attempted to convince him

Jack cocked his head to the side as he looked up at the normally bubbly blonde, "They aren't going to come home since Uncle Derek is hurt?"

Garcia swallowed as she silently cursed herself for trying to play a fast one on Hotch's son, "Well-"

"Coz Ethan loves Uncle Derek like a dad. I'm pretty sure they all do. And Aunt Emily loves him a lot too. They're like best friends. I know that if my best friend, who we all know is Ethan, were in the hospital, I would totally leave my vacation to come back to see him"

Garcia took a deep breath, knowing that Jack was right, "You are totally right Jack. But for now you kids are going to stay at home, until we get approval from the adults to let you come up there, okay"

"Promise?" he asked as he looked up at Garcia

"Promise" she told him with a smile before ruffling his straight light brown hair

Garcia then kissed Penny on top of the head before Jack turned with the toddler and walked into the living room, setting the little girl on the floor and sitting down beside her. Garcia smiled before turning and thanking Jessica and then heading out the door to make her way to the hospital.

When she finally made it back to the hospital, she found that nothing had changed with Morgan. She and Kevin talked for awhile, but then Garcia asked if she could just be alone with Morgan for a little bit. Kevin of course agreed and once she had checked in on him herself, she stepped out of his room to make a phone call to his mother. She knew Hotch had already spoken to her, but she wanted to talk to the woman herself to see how she was doing.

When Garcia finally got off of the phone with the very distraught woman she walked back into Morgan's room and sat down in the chair beside his bed. She covered his hand in her own as she began to talk to him. She told him that his mother and sisters were going to be on the first available flight they could get, which looked like it wasn't going to be until the following day. Then she began talking to him about other things.

Meanwhile Reid and Rossi finally landed in the Virginia Beach area and took a car to the rental agency which JJ and Emily had used. Once they got their address and a spare key they hopped back in the car and drove down the road, searching for the house that matched the address they were given.

Rossi pulled into the driveway that matched the address they had. He and Reid slowly got out of the car and walked up the driveway.

"Their car isn't here" Reid pointed out

Rossi nodded, "Let's hope they've just gone out for the day and forgot their phones"

They then walked around to the back of the house to look around. They didn't notice anything out of place so they walked back to the front and knocked on the door. When they didn't get an answer Rossi knocked again, announcing who it was. After still not getting an answer Rossi stuck the key in the lock and turned it. He entered first, followed closely by Reid. As they walked inside, Rossi yelled out for Emily and JJ, announcing his presence once again. They still did not receive any answer so they walked through the downstairs area before slowly ascending some stairs and coming out in the upstairs living area.

As Rossi looked around the first thing he noticed was how clean everything still looked. There weren't any toys scattered about, let alone any clothes or food.

"It sure looks clean" he pointed out to Reid

"Well they have only been here a day" the boy genius replied

Rossi stopped to turn and look at the young man, "You have met this family, right?"

Reid grinned before turning and continuing to look around. That's when he spotted two cell phones on the coffee table, along with two fedora hats. He walked over to the table and looked down at the items.

"Rossi"

The older man turned and found Reid looking down at the coffee table, where he spotted two hats and a couple of cell phones. He walked over to Reid before bending over and picking up one of the phones.

"This is Emily's" he stated

Reid nodded, "And this is JJ's"

As Reid picked up the blonde's phone, he slid the screen on and saw that there were several missed calls, all from different members of the team.

"I guess they just forgot them?" Reid questioned

Ross continued to look at the phones, before he picked up the black fedora hat, which he recognized as Ethan's.

"This is Ethan's hat and that one I believe is JJ's" the older man pointed out

"So?"

"So when have you known Ethan to ever leave his hat behind" Rossi stated

"Maybe he's wearing a different one" Reid suggested, wanting to stay positive

Rossi set the hat and phone back down before turning and walking towards one of the hallways. He turned down it and found the master bedroom. As he looked around he noticed that the two women had unpacked their bags. As he inspected their bathroom, he saw their swim suits hanging over the shower door, along with a couple beach towels, so he knew that they had been to the beach. He turned to head out of the bedroom and when he entered the living room he saw Reid coming out of the other hallway.

"Find anything?" Rossi asked

The young man shook his head, "No nothing unusual. It looks like all three boys are sleeping in one room. None of them have unpacked, but I found swimsuits and towels in the bathroom so they've obviously been to the beach"

Rossi nodded, "Similar to Emily and JJ's bathroom"

As the two men stood in the kitchen, thinking, Rossi looked back up at Reid, before turning and walking quickly back to the master bedroom. He came back out shortly after and looked at the younger man.

"It doesn't look like their bed has been slept in. Could you tell if the boys had slept in their bed?"

Reid shook his head as he walked back down the hallway, Rossi hot on his heels. As he walked into the bedroom with the bunk bed and double bed they took one look around before looking at each other.

"There is no way they slept here last night" Rossi stated

Reid couldn't speak, he was trying to calm his nerves that were on edge. He wanted so badly to believe that they were okay and just out for the day. But after seeing this house and coming up with numerous excuses, he realized that they were not just out running errands. These beds were way too neat and there was no way Ethan would not have unpacked his clothes last night. Reid stared at the bottom bunk which still had the two youngest boy's suitcases on it, laying open, but not unpacked.

Rossi pulled out his phone and called Hotch.

"What did you find Rossi?" the lead agent asked

"They aren't here. I don't know how long they've been gone, but their beds have not been slept in and we found their phones on the table"

"You're sure they aren't just out somewhere?"

"Hotch, their car is missing, the house is way too neat, they haven't eaten here. Ethan hasn't unpacked and like I already said, there is no way their beds have been slept in"

Hotch closed his eyes as he tried to focus on the other end of the line.

"Hotch?" Rossi questioned

"Okay ask around to see if anyone remembers the last time they saw them. Surely someone will remember seeing two beautiful women with three boys"

"Okay" Rossi replied before hanging up

Meanwhile at the warehouse Chloe and Patrick were discussing their next move.

"Are you sure your men can handle it?" Patrick asked

"They handled Agent Morgan didn't they?" she countered

"And you're sure he is dead?" Patrick questioned

"My men don't miss" Chloe stated, growing angry

"Okay call them and have them take care of it"

"Which one is next?" she asked

Patrick thought for a moment before a smile spread across his face, "Let's take care of Agent Reid next" he told her as he handed Chloe a picture of the young doctor.

Chloe returned the smile as she took the picture, copying it to her phone before sending it to the two men she had waiting. Once she had hit the send button she looked back up at Patrick Doyle.

"Done. They will let us know when he is taken care of"

A/N: Okay another chapter down! And I have no idea how many more there will be, but I will update as soon as I can, but I am not sure how long it will take!


	11. Chapter 10

A/N: Okay so I'm not going to lie. I was out of town the last week and just got back and saw all of the reports on Paget Brewster leaving the show at the end of the season. So now I am seriously depressed. I was so into this new story, with Emily and JJ and their little family, but now I just want to wallow in my own misery. Don't get me wrong, I am happy for Paget and understand completely that she is ready for something new, but still…Anyways you guys need to keep me really happy so that I finish this story, because now I feel like stopping. Anyways, if you guys really like this story and want me to continue, including once this story is finished, by adding more stories from their life together, especially the missing four years that I have so far, please, please, please let me know. Because at this point it's going to be you guys rallying behind me to make me finish! Hope you enjoy this chapter.

* * *

><p>Ch 10<p>

The two men, whom Chloe had hired, to take out the rest of the team one by one, had received her picture text message. They had tracked down the genius member of the team and were disappointed to find him being flanked by an older agent. The two men watched as the agents came out of the beach house and began to look around outside. From there they began to walk down the street and up to each of the houses, knocking on doors and talking to the neighbors. Sometime later they were finally walking back towards the beach house they had originally come out of. The older man was on the phone and was clearly annoyed.

Neither agent noticed the large dark vehicle coming towards them until it was nearly too late. Rossi turned just in time to see the car speeding towards them.

"REID" the older man yelled as he dove out of the way

Reid snapped his head towards Rossi and he saw the large, dark vehicle coming towards him. He attempted to dive out of the way but the driver of the car anticipated that move and hit Reid dead on. After the dark vehicle was speeding away Rossi leaped to his feet and ran towards Reid, who was lying on his back in the middle of the street. He pulled out his phone and called 911 stating that there was a federal agent down. The older man then dropped to his knees beside the young man. Reid was fighting to stay conscious as he looked up into Rossi's eyes.

"It's okay kid, help is on the way. Just hang on" Rossi told Reid

Reid slowly nodded as he fought the pain in his body. Rossi looked him over and could tell that his leg was clearly broken and he had cuts all over him, along with a gash on the side of his head. But what worried Rossi was what he couldn't see. He knew the younger man had to be injured worse than what he could see and as if on cue Reid began to cough up blood.

Rossi tried not to panic as he watched Reid suffer as he tried to breathe.

"Hang on Reid. You're going to be fine" Rossi told him as he placed a hand gently on the young man's shoulder

Reid coughed up more blood before finally lapsing into unconsciousness. Rossi heard the sirens getting closer and prayed they made it to them in time. He felt for a pulse on Reid's neck and found a faint one, but the older man could tell it would be a matter of minutes before Reid's heart stopped.

"Come on" Rossi said loudly as he stood up and turned towards the sounds of sirens

By this time people were lining the street to get a glimpse of what was transpiring. Rossi wanted nothing more than to hop into the ambulance with Reid once he was loaded, but he knew he needed to get any information he could from people who could have possibly seen what happened.

The ambulance finally pulled up and two paramedics jumped out and ran over to where Reid was laying. Rossi gave them the logistics of what happened and how the younger man had passed out shortly after coughing up blood.

"Okay sir, you're going to have to step back so that we can do our job" one paramedic told him

Rossi nodded as he stepped further away from Reid. He stood there and watched as they began to assess the young man's injuries and he paled further when one medic shouted that they were losing him. The medics moved fast, quickly getting Reid on the backboard and loading him into the ambulance.

"Where are you taking him?" Rossi asked quickly as he ran up beside the ambulance

"Sentara General" the medic responded quickly

Rossi nodded as he watched the medic shift the bus into gear and peel away. By that time uniformed officers were surrounding him, asking him questions. Rossi filled them in quickly on what had happened and then they all branched out to question any witnesses they might be able to find. Rossi called Garcia immediately with a partial plate, telling her he needed her to find whatever he could ASAP. He then filled her in on what had happened and had to try to console her over the phone. Once he got off the phone with her he called Hotch.

"What is it?" Hotch asked

"Reid is on his way to the hospital" Rossi told the other man, "Somebody tried to run him over and for the most part succeeded"

Hotch dropped his head, rubbing his forehead with his free hand, "Is he okay?"

"It looked pretty bad Aaron. He was bleeding internally" Rossi informed him

"Where are they taking him?"

"Sentara Virginia Beach General Hospital" he answered

"Okay, Dave, I need you to focus. I am just as worried about Reid as you are, but someone is obviously after our entire team. They've attempted to kill two of our team members and they have kidnapped the other two, along with their children. We are all at risk here, but I need to know if there was anything at all left at that beach house that could point to the where they took the girls."

"There was nothing Hotch. It was completely clean. The police here are going to dust for prints but I'm betting they don't find any"

Hotch nodded, expecting as much, "Okay, look, bring their phones with you and I am going to borrow another jet, if possible, and I will meet you at the hospital"

"Okay"

"And Dave"

"Yeah"

"Be careful"

"You too" Rossi replied before hanging up

Rossi then turned and headed over to the black SUV and climbed inside. He sighed as he watched the uniformed officers and detectives swarm the house to dust for prints and to look for any other clues the perps may have left behind. Then he started the car and began to slowly head towards the hospital.

Meanwhile, Hotch ordered two guards to be posted outside Morgan's hospital room and requested Kevin stay there as well. Then he called Jessica and filled her in on what was going on. He asked her to bring Jack and Penny to the office because he thought it would be safer. As he hung up with Jessica he saw Garcia hurrying through the doors and heading for his office.

"Sir" she said busting in without knocking

"I know" he nodded at her

"What is…I don't understand" she mumbled as she paced in a circle

"Garcia I need you to focus right now, okay" he said walking up to her

"But-"

"I know" he said with a nod, "Someone is seeking revenge on this team and we need to do everything in our power to figure out who that person is. In order for us to do that I need you to be able to focus"

She nodded slowly "Okay"

"Good. Now I have called in some officers to be posted outside Morgan's room and Kevin is to remain with him until I remove him. Jessica is on the way here with the kids because it is safer for them to be here. I know Jack is going to ask questions, but try to deter him as much as possible until I get back."

"Where are you going?" she questioned as he grabbed suit jacket and headed for his office door

"I am meeting Rossi at the hospital in Virginia Beach to check on Reid" he answered as he pulled on his jacket

"Oh and Garcia" he said turning back around to face her

"Yes sir"

"Under no circumstances are you or the others allowed to leave here. Are we clear?"

"Crystal" she replied

"I'll call you when I know something. You just concentrate on doing what you do better than anyone else I've ever met"

She nodded as she watched her boss rush down the stairs and head through the bull pen when she remembered that Derek's family was supposed to be coming the next day. She called Hotch immediately on his cell.

"Garcia?"

"Sir I forgot that the Morgan's were supposed to fly out here tomorrow morning. Would they be in danger if they came?"

"Yes. I'll call her right now. You just get to work"

"Yes sir" she answered before hanging up and heading back to her office lair

Hotch made his way to the tarmac, lucky that they could spare a jet under the circumstances. He called Derek's mother and explained to her what was happening and that they couldn't risk any more people being put at risk. After much arguing on her part, as well as Hotch's, she finally relented as long as Hotch promised to look over her son and bring this monster to justice. He promised both, knowing that he wouldn't be able to live with himself if he didn't.

The one hour flight seemed to take forever in Hotch's mind and as soon as they landed and he was able to get off of the jet he got a car and headed for the hospital. When he got there he found Rossi sitting in the waiting room and as Hotch took in his appearance, he knew the older man had been shaken. His shirt was torn and dirty, and Hotch saw some cuts and bruises forming on Rossi's arms and his face.

"Dave" Hotch said as he walked into the small waiting room, where there were a few other people sitting sadly

Rossi nearly jumped out of his chair as he made his way over to the other man.

"The doctors haven't come out yet. The only thing that they would tell me is that they had to rush him into surgery" Rossi informed Hotch

Hotch nodded as he motioned for Rossi to step out of the waiting room and into the hallway. The older man obliged and as soon as the door shut behind them Hotch turned to stare at Rossi.

"Dave you look like hell"

"Well Aaron there was a maniac out there who tried to run us down"

"I realize that, but have you been checked out by a doctor?" Hotch asked in an authoritative tone

"I'm fine" Rossi insisted

"Look I know you think that you're fine, but I can tell by looking at you that you are not fine. You need to get those cuts looked at" Hotch told him as he pointed at Rossi's arm

"Hotch-"

"No Dave" Hotch stated, cutting the other man off, "Listen to me. Every member of our team is in jeopardy right now. Two are severely injured and in the hospital, another two have been kidnapped along with their kids. That's more than half of our team, which leaves only you, me, and Garcia, so I need your head in this…And I don't need you bleeding to death on my watch because you were too stubborn to get checked out by a doctor"

Rossi nodded, "I really am okay"

"Humor me" Hotch told him with a glare

Rossi nodded as he and Hotch turned and walked down the hall in search of a doctor.

As they waited to be seen Hotch and Rossi decided to go over what they knew so far.

"Okay Derek was shot around 630 this morning in DC" Hotch said

"And the girls had to have been taken sometime yesterday, late afternoon or evening, because none of them had slept in their beds"

"And then you and Reid were nearly run down this afternoon"

"That's a lot of ground to cover in just one day" Rossi pointed out

"Which makes me believe there is definitely more than one unsub"

"There would have to be. There is no way Emily and JJ couldn't subdue one man"

"Well they wouldn't try if the unsub was holding one of the boys hostage. Then they would probably do whatever they were told" Hotch said

"I don't know Aaron, those women are pretty strong and stubborn, and I think it would anger them even more if someone threatened one of their kids. If there was just one unsub there, eventually Emily and JJ would have come up with a plan to overpower them" replied Rossi

Hotch nodded, "Okay so how many are we talking about?"

Rossi shrugged, "I'm thinking that someone had been watching them for awhile, probably all of us for that matter. This person knew their routines…our routines, so they knew that Emily and JJ were going to that beach house with the boys"

"Which means they knew there would be a teenage boy with them" Hotch added

"They would need three men of good size to overpower that family"

Hotch nodded, "Okay so let's say there were three, maybe four who took them. Do we think the same ones got to Morgan and Reid?"

"I don't know. There has to be several people involved in this. It's possible the same ones who took Emily and JJ, went after me and Reid. But I don't think the same people shot Morgan, they would have had to rush from one place to the other, and it's a good four hour drive"

Just then a doctor came in to look at Rossi. After examining him, they stitched up his left arm where he had slashed it open pretty good. He then cleaned up his other cuts so that they wouldn't get infected. Otherwise the doctor gave him a clean bill of health.

As the two men were heading back to the waiting room Rossi stopped walking. Hotch turned to him with concern until he realized that the older man had just thought of something.

"What is it?" Hotch questioned

"I was just thinking about that car coming at me and Reid" Rossi began, "It could have just as easily hit me, but I think they purposely went for Reid. He even tried to get out of the way, but it's like they were planning for him to do that…they anticipated that move, that's how they hit him…besides if you were going to hit one of the two of us, who would you go after? The younger, faster one? Or the older one?"

"So you don't think they were gunning for both of you?" Hotch asked him with intensity

Rossi shook his head, "No I'm pretty sure they were just going for Reid"

Hotch nodded as he pulled out his phone and dialed Garcia.

"How's Reid?" answered Garcia

"Still in surgery. Look I need you to find out if anyone we've arrested has gotten out of jail in the past year. Especially anyone who made knowing threats to us" Hotch ordered

"Sir isn't that going to be a long list?"

"Well I'm hoping they aren't just letting possible serial killers free" replied Hotch

"Right"

"I need that ASAP"

"Yes sir"

"Did Jessica and the kids make it there?" he asked with concern

"Yes they did and let me be the first to tell you that your son is quite perceptive and he is not going to wait much longer to be told what is going on" the blonde informed him

Hotch nodded as he responded, "I know and as soon as we get an update on Reid, Dave and I will be back that way and I will explain to him what is going on"

"Okay"

With that they both hung up as Hotch and Rossi rounded the corner to the waiting room. Right before they were about to enter the room Hotch stopped, much in the same way Rossi had earlier.

"Aaron?" Rossi questioned

"There's got to be more to this. There's something we are missing"

"There's a lot we are missing Hotch"

Hotch nodded as he followed Rossi back into the waiting room and they took a seat. After about an hour both men were growing agitated and restless. They knew they couldn't wait around much longer, they needed to be out there searching for the people responsible for Reid and Morgan's injuries, as well as trying to find the girls. As if on cue Hotch's phone rang, showing Garcia calling. He stood up and answered the phone as Rossi followed him back out into the hallway.

"What do you have?"

"I have two names of men released within the past year. One of them made clear verbal threats to the team, specifically Morgan and Prentiss, seeing as how they are the ones that made the actual arrest. He's living in Norfolk and currently unemployed"

"And the other one?"

"The other one made no threats to anyone on the team. He was more of one of those silent creepers. He's living in South Carolina and working at a warehouse as a stockman"

Hotch sighed, fairly certain the second man was not their guy. The first one was the only possible lead they had so far.

"Sir I was thinking" Garcia began

"Yes" he replied urging her on

"Well Emily and JJ were obviously kidnapped, along with the kiddos. Then Morgan was shot and Reid was nearly run over"

"Garcia where are you going with this?"

"Well what if my precious beauties were the targets all along. And what if they are trying to make them suffer by taking those who are closest to them, in the order of how important they are to them"

"What do you mean?"

"Well I love my girls, I do, but we all know that Morgan and Prentiss have a special bond, and not that I want it to seem like we are back in junior high, but-"

"Garcia just spit it out"

"Well Morgan and Emily are obviously two of the closest on the team besides she and JJ, and while I love my blonde gum drop, she has always thought of Reid as a little brother, and besides, I'm cooped up in my lair all day, it's harder for someone to get to me"

As Hotch let the words sink in he realized they did make some twisted sense, "Okay thanks Garcia. Rossi and I are going to head back that way shortly"

"What about Reid?" she asked

"I'm going to have some officers posted outside his door once he comes out of surgery" he informed her before hanging up

Hotch then found a doctor and called the local officials to get special permission for his request. Once he spoke to all of the people involved they assured him that they could make his request possible given the circumstances. As Rossi and Hotch boarded the jet and took their respective seats the older man finally questioned the team leader.

"What did you meet with the doctors about?" Rossi asked

"As soon as Reid is out of surgery he is going to be flown back to DC and placed in the same room as Morgan, as long as they are both stable and doing okay. That way they are both close and we can be sure they are being protected" answered Hotch

Rossi smiled slightly, "Of course"

They arrived back in Quantico at nearly 630pm and both men walked with purpose into the bullpen. Hotch then headed straight for Garcia's office, only to be stopped by Jack running down the hall towards him.

"Dad" he shouted

Hotch stopped and took a deep breath before he turned around, "Jack there's no need to shout"

The caramel haired boy stared straight up at his dad as he crossed his arms over his chest, "Nobody will tell me what's wrong. Not Aunt Jess or Aunt Pen, they said I had to wait for you to get back. I know something's wrong. Where is everyone?"

Hotch stared down at his brown eyed son, "What do you mean where is everyone?"

Jack rolled his eyes and Hotch couldn't help but let a small smile escape him. 'Definitely learned that from Emily and JJ' he thought to himself.

"Dad, even I know not to answer a question with a question" the boy stated

"Of course you do"

"Seriously, where is Aunt Emily? Aunt JJ? Ethan?" Jack took a pause as he rattled off the names, "Declan and Henry? Are they for real still on vacation even though Uncle Derek got shot?"

Hotch took a step closer to his son and placed both of his large hands on the boy's small shoulders.

"No son, they are not on vacation" he answered truthfully

Jack's facial expressions changed slightly when his father said that, "Then where are they?"

"Jack I need you to listen to me, okay-"

The boy didn't let him finish as he jerked away from his father's touch, a frightened look on his face, "What happened to them?", he asked worriedly, tears already forming in his eyes at all of the possible things that could have happened

"Jack, listen to me" Hotch said stepping closer to his son again, "I'm not going to sugar coat this for you because I believe you are old enough to handle it. Emily and JJ, along with the boys, were kidnapped from their beach house, we believe, sometime late yesterday."

"Wha…but…what?" the young boy questioned as he fumbled for words

"That's really all we know so far, but we are doing everything we can to try and find them" Hotch said, trying to sound confident for his son

Jack swallowed the lump in his throat as he nodded and leaned back against the wall.

"Is that why Uncle Derek got shot? And why we're here?" he asked as he looked back up at his father

Hotch nodded silently as he looked at his son.

"You should also know that Reid has been hurt also" Jack's eyes darted back to his father's as Hotch mentioned the newest twist of events, "So it is of utmost importance that you do not leave this building, not even this floor unless I say it's okay. Understood?"

The young Hotchner nodded, "Yes sir"

The lead agent nodded his head as well as he placed a comforting hand on his son's shoulder and squeezed it slightly. Then he turned to head to Garcia's office.

"Dad" Jack spoke up as he pushed himself away from the wall

Hotch turned back around to look at his son, "Yes"

"You're gonna find them right?" he asked, his voice slightly shaky

Hotch paused a moment before answering with a stone cold, serious expression, "Yes"

Jack nodded before walking quickly towards his father and throwing his arms around his father's waist, burying his face in his father's lower chest. Hotch returned the hug, squeezing his son tightly against him.

"Be careful dad"

"I will. And you mind your aunts and help look after Penny" Hotch replied as he pulled away from his son

Jack nodded as he watched his father turn and walk down the rest of the hallway before punching in the code to Garcia's office.

As Hotch entered the office, Garcia spun around in her chair to face him.

"Did you talk to the little one?" she asked looking up at him

He nodded, "Now have you found anything from either JJ or Prentiss' past that might have sparked someone wanting revenge on them?"

The bubbly blonde spun back around in her chair to face her computers, "Not so much as even a glitch. Everyone the team has arrested in the past ten years is either in prison or dead. The few names, other than the two I already gave you, that I found have proven to be dead ends. There was only two other names that surfaced and when I made some phone calls to find out information I found out one of them died about two weeks ago and the other is some fisherman dude that's been at sea for the last three months"

"Okay, keep digging Garcia, there's something we are missing and it is starting to make me very angry. Rossi and I are going to head to Emily and JJ's house to see if there is anything there we might be able to find"

"Sir I stayed there last night and I didn't notice anything out of the ordinary" she told him

Hotch nodded, "Well we are going to look anyway"

Garcia nodded and began typing away on her computer as Hotch walked out of his office.

Once Rossi and Hotch made it to the Prentiss-Jareau household they pulled into the driveway, noticing Garcia red convertible parked at the top. They pulled up behind it before getting out of the SUV and walking around to the backyard.

"Let's look around outside, first, see if anything seems unusual or out of place" Hotch said as he began walking through the grass along the back porch

Rossi nodded as he turned and walked to the fence line. He began carefully walking and looking around to see if anything seemed out of place. He got to the corner where there were some bushes and flowerbed. As he looked closer he saw that there was a cigarette butt in the soil by the bush. He crouched down and as he looked closer he could see footprints behind the bushes as well.

"Hotch" Rossi shouted across the yard

The leader immediately headed over to where the older man was still crouched down. As he knelt down beside Rossi, he saw what Rossi was looking at. Hotch pulled out a baggy and carefully slipped the cigarette butt into the bag before sealing it.

"I'm going to call the crime unit over here. Maybe they will be able to find something else"

Rossi nodded as they both stood up and Hotch made the phone call. Once he hung up he turned to face the back of the house, the same way Rossi was.

"What are you thinking?" Hotch asked

"I'm trying to figure out what he was looking at. Was he watching Emily and JJ? Or just one of them? What if it wasn't them at all, what if he was watching one of the boys?"

Hotch looked up at the bedroom windows that overlooked the backyard, "Well if he was watching the boys, it would have been Ethan and Henry because they are on this back side, Declan's window faces the front"

Rossi nodded, "But then he would have a clear view of Emily and JJ's room from here also. If they had the curtains open, or even the French doors open to their bedroom you could probably see in pretty well"

Hotch nodded, "I'm going to go up there and open the curtains in all of those rooms. You tell me how much you can see"

Rossi nodded as Hotch walked up the steps to the back porch, before pulling out a spare key and opening the back door. He closed the door behind him and a few minutes later Rossi saw the blinds in the boys room go up. Then a few minutes later the blinds in Penny's room went up, and lastly the curtains across the French doors in the master bedroom opened up. Rossi stood back by the bush and looked at each room when his phone rang.

"What can you see?" Hotch asked as he stood behind the closed French doors

"I can't see much in Penny's room, probably because her bed isn't near the window. The boy's room I can see into a little better, but I can't see their bunk beds. I could probably see them if they were getting something out of their closet or dresser"

"What about up here. Can you see into the master bedroom?"

Rossi turned his attention to the small balcony where the French doors remained closed but the curtains open. The older man could see Hotch clearly as he stood next to the doors.

"I can see you right now. Try walking more to the middle of the room, maybe towards the bed"

Rossi watched as Hotch's form slowly started to move backwards.

"Well I can definitely make out a silhouette. You're sitting on the bed aren't you?"

"Yes. Okay I'm going to open the doors and you let me know if you can see more of the room that way" Hotch said

Rossi waited as Hotch opened the French doors to the master bedroom and then began to walk around the room.

"Any different?" the team leader asked

"Just a little bit. I can obviously see you more clearly. Will you walk into the bathroom and then walk back out" Rossi asked

Hotch complied and as he came back out of the bathroom Rossi spoke up, "I can clearly see you come out of the bathroom, as well as the majority of the front half of the bedroom, but anything else I can't see at all"

Hotch nodded, "So we think they were watching JJ and Emily, not the kids"

"It seems most plausible, but there's still the possibility that these guys could have been watching Ethan and Henry as well, which might explain why they took the whole family"

"Maybe" Hotch replied, "Let's look around inside while we wait for the crime unit to get here"

Rossi nodded and hung up his phone before heading inside through the back door. The two men began to slowly look through the kitchen and the living room, but nothing seemed out of place, but the fact that Garcia and Kevin had both stayed the night there previously didn't help.

Soon the crime unit arrived and after they gathered evidence from outside they moved indoors and began combing the downstairs for anything that might point to foul play. However, about half an hour into the search, one of the techs found a bug tucked up inside the kitchen light that hung above the sink. He pulled it out and showed it to Hotch and Rossi.

The two men looked at one another and both of them were thinking the same thing. The only other time that they had been bugged was a little over four years ago when Emily went after Doyle and some of his men had bugged their phones, offices, and homes.

"We need to talk to Garcia and get back to the office" Hotch stated as he turned to walk out the back door

Before he exited he turned to the techs, "Search the entire house for any bugs, cameras, anything"

They nodded as Rossi and Hotch walked down the steps of the back porch and climbed into the SUV. They sped back to headquarters as fast as they could.

"There's no way Doyle is back Hotch. He's dead. Morgan killed him" Rossi stated

"I realize that Dave, but I still think it is someone connected to him or his past"

"But even when we were searching for him, we didn't find any relatives and the men who worked for him were all killed or put in prison" Rossi added

"What if they didn't all die or end up in prison. What if there are still some out there?"

"That would mean that most likely it's someone who had to have known Emily personally when she was undercover" Rossi said, as the actuality of that began to hit home with him

Hotch nodded, "And that someone wants revenge, not just on her, but on all of us"

"Well it kind of makes more sense now. Especially if this person knew that Morgan is the one who killed Doyle"

Hotch nodded, "Or that could have been due to what Garcia said earlier about the relationships amongst the team"

"True, but Aaron…If this is true…If it is someone connected to Doyle's past, and he knows Emily, personally, she's not going to make it out this time. And I'm afraid to think of what will happen to the rest of them…Hell, I'm afraid to even think about what's already happened to them" Rossi said

Hotch nodded, "I know"

As soon as they made it back to headquarters they headed straight for Garcia's office. Garcia spun around in her chair and she knew by the look on the two men's faces that something was wrong.

"Oh my God, what's wrong? Is it Reid? Morgan? Oh no-"

She was cut off by Hotch, "Garcia it's not them okay. I need you to dig up as much information on Ian Doyle as you can"

"What? But…but he's dead. He is dead isn't he? Because if he's-"

"Garcia he's dead" Rossi assured her, "But we think one of his accomplices may still be alive and we think he is behind everything that has happened"

Garcia's jaw hung open at what the older man had just told her.

"Garcia, now" said Hotch

"Right" she replied as she spun back around in her chair and began typing away on her computer, "I just wish everything and everyone associated with Ian Doyle would just die already" she said angrily as she hit the keys on the keyboard slightly harder than needed

Right after she said that she immediately stopped typing and spun back around to look at her two bosses, "Except Emily of course…and Declan…and Ethan. I just-"

"We know what you meant Garcia" Rossi replied as he spun her back around in her chair to face the computers, "Now work your magic"

"The results aren't going to magically appear. And you two hovering isn't going to make things go any faster" the bubbly blonde stated, feeling the two men hovering behind her

"Let us know as soon as you find anything" ordered Hotch as he and Rossi turned and left the room

The two men headed to Hotch's office and once inside, began to pull files on all the men associated with Doyle that they had either caught or killed over four years ago. A few hours later, after making several phone calls to prisons, they found that none of the men from four years ago that they had captured had been released.

Hotch got up and began to pace his office while Rossi remained sitting in the chair. The team leader then left his office and walked down to Rossi's. The older man got up and followed Hotch, watching as he entered his office. Rossi leaned against the doorframe as he watched Hotch bend down next to the air mattress that they had set up for Jack and Penny. Hotch brushed his hand over Jack's caramel hair, the boy not moving a muscle. The boy was sleeping on his stomach, his head facing Hotch, one hand tucked under his stomach while the other was thrown haphazardly over his pillow. Hotch then leaned over Jack carefully and gently stroked Penny's cheek. The toddler didn't react at all, instead she remained in a deep sleep, laying on her back, her chest rising and falling at a steady pace.

As the team leader stood back up and turned he found Rossi standing in the doorway, "We are going to find them Aaron"

"I hope so. I think I'm just afraid of what we are going to find" he replied

As Hotch was walking towards Rossi and the two men were exiting the office, Jessica was walking towards them.

"Are they okay?" she asked in a worried voice

"Yes they're sleeping" Hotch answered

Jessica nodded in relief, "Have you found out anything?"

Hotch shook his head, "We're working on it. You should get some rest"

Jessica nodded, "Easier said than done"

"Feel free to use the couch in my office" Hotch told her

"That's okay, I think I'll stay with Jack and Penny" she told him

"Of course" Hotch replied

Jessica then walked into Rossi's office and sat down next to the air mattress as she watched the kids sleep.

As Hotch and Rossi walked back into Hotch's office, his cell phone rang. When he finished his serious conversation he turned to Rossi who was standing there, clearly waiting to find out what Hotch had just been told.

"That was the hospital in Virginia Beach. Reid's out of surgery but he's still in critical condition" the leader looked up at the older man and he could tell Rossi wanted more information than that

"He has three broken ribs, a broken leg, a major concussion with some brain swelling, and one of his ribs punctured his lungs, which is why he was having trouble breathing and began bleeding internally"

Rossi nodded before asking, "Are they going to be able to move him?"

"They want to see how he does through the night. If he seems to do alright, then they said they would call in the morning to make arrangements. For now there are two officers posted outside his room in ICU"

Hotch moved to sit down at his desk as Rossi followed suit, sitting in a chair in front of the desk. They sat in silence for a few minutes, each man taking in the information they had just been given, as well as trying to figure out who was behind these acts of revenge.

"Are we sure that Doyle didn't have any relatives at all?" Rossi asked, breaking the silence

"Garcia couldn't find any connections when she searched the last time" replied Hotch

"I just find it hard to believe that he has absolutely no relatives, or that Declan's mother didn't have any relatives. Doesn't that sound suspicious?"

"Not if Doyle grew up in an orphanage" Hotch pointed out

"But if so there would be a record of that, right?"

Hotch understood his point and immediately intercommed Garcia, asking her to look up that information.

"I'll do what I can, but I'm not making any promises, the orphanages over there haven't been known to keep very good records" she informed the two men

"Just do what you can" Hotch said before ending the conversation

Hotch looked up at the clock on the wall and saw that it was nearly 11pm. He sighed as he leaned back in his chair.

"We are going to find them Aaron…We have too" Rossi stated

"Then why haven't we found anything. It seems like everywhere we go and everywhere we look is just a dead end. I feel helpless" Hotch stated, obviously frustrated as he shoved his chair back in anger and stood up before walking out of the office

As Rossi watched him leave, he sighed, shaking his head, before saying out loud, to himself, "Me too Aaron…me too"

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><p>AN: Please remember what I said up above and remember to review this story and tell me what you think of the situation, every thought and opinion will count towards building me or bringing me down, lol.


	12. Chapter 11

A/N: Okay so you guys TOTALLY ROCK! Thank you for all of the AMAZING reviews, you all definitely boosted my mood AND self esteem! And to let you all know I will be finishing this story for sure. I can't make any promises on how long it will take me to finish because I have a lot of stuff going on right now and there is still A LOT left to write. Now, as far as Criminal Minds in general, I am choosing to believe that they will give Paget a good send off. I really don't want her character to die for many reasons. One being that I don't think the team could handle that…again. I also don't really want her to request a transfer…I guess it would be okay if it were an order from Strauss or something. But what I would really be happy with is giving her character a happy ending…say something along the lines of: the man taking care of Declan is sick and can't care for him anymore so Emily decides to adopt him, but she wants to really be able to be there for him so she resigns from the BAU, or even transfers to a department with normal hours…so for now I'm going to stay in my happy place with the last option

**As for this chapter. You are being forewarned that there is SEXUAL SITUATIONS, VIOLENCE, AND CURSING. Once again you have been warned. **

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><p>Ch 11<p>

Emily's body was growing increasingly exhausted as she sat on the ground, her back against the wall. She had not seen JJ or the boys since that morning when Patrick had told them that Derek was dead and she couldn't bring herself to even try to sleep. She leaned her head back against the concrete wall and sighed, praying that they were bluffing. She had no idea what they had been doing all day but she hadn't seen Patrick or any of the other men. She also hadn't seen Chloe. Emily grew angry just thinking about her. How could they have made the mistake that the other woman was Declan's mother? She closed her eyes and tried to picture herself back at home with JJ and their kids, trying to will away the fear that she was feeling.

Meanwhile, JJ was at the other end of the warehouse thinking about all of the same things as Emily. The blonde woman was praying and hoping that Emily and the kids were okay. She hadn't seen any sign of anyone since that morning and that worried her. She didn't know if they had left the warehouse for awhile, or if they were busy torturing Emily or the kids. As she leaned against the wall her head began pounding harder and she fought the urge to close her eyes, afraid that if she did that she would completely pass out. She also realized that her hands were going numb from the tape being too tight around her wrists. As she struggled against the restraints again she heard the door in front of her and watched as it opened, slowly, and Patrick Doyle stepped inside.

JJ attempted to show no fear as the man stepped closer to her, a smug smile on his face. He crouched down in front of her, blue eyes staring into blue.

"Hello love" he said

"Screw you" she spit back at him

He just laughed at her response, not expecting anything less, "I might actually do that to you later. But right now we need to talk business"

The blonde turned her head away from the older man but he quickly reached forward with his right hand, grabbing a fistful of hair and yanking her away from the wall and onto the floor roughly.

"Look at me" he told her angrily as he kept a good hold on her hair

She slowly made eye contact with him and she noticed how he immediately relaxed, slowly releasing the tight hold on her hair.

"That's better" he replied, "Now I am about to give you a choice and I expect you to choose wisely"

JJ continued to stare at him as she laid on the ground, Patrick Doyle crouching beside her, "Which child do you choose to save?"

The blonde was caught off guard by that question and the confusion was written across her face.

The older man smiled before continuing, "You have thirty seconds to choose which one of your children will live. Now who do you choose?"

"I am not choosing between my kids" JJ answered angrily

"So you are choosing for all of them to die?" he asked

"No, but I have a feeling there is more to this little game you are playing than what you are telling me"

"Hmmm, I thought for sure you would choose Henry" he pointed out as he looked away from the blonde woman for a moment

"Why? Why would you think I would choose him over the other two?" she asked, feeling the courage begin to surface within her

"Because he is your actual son" he stated as he turned his attention back to JJ, his face growing angry

"Just because I didn't give birth to Ethan and Declan doesn't mean I love them any less…or that I would choose between any of them. They are all my sons" she told him, the anger evident in her voice

His face contorted in anger at her answer, as he stood up quickly. JJ could see how heavily he was breathing and that he was trying to control his anger, but she doubted that it would work. She watched as he paced slightly in her 'cell' before turning back towards her. He walked casually back over to her, where she was still laying on the ground. He stood looking down at her for a moment, his eyes raking down her body, sending chills down the blonde's spine. She swallowed the lump in her throat just before he brought his knee up towards his chest, then bringing it down, slamming his foot onto her stomach. She immediately groaned as she puffed out the air that had been in her lungs. She rolled onto her right side, away from him as she struggled to regain her breath. She began coughing and her lungs were not cooperating with her. She brought her knees up towards her chest as she continued to try to breathe in much needed air. She closed her eyes and tried to concentrate on breathing evenly and not panicking. Just when she felt her lungs inhale their first breath of air again and she began to relax she felt a boot connect with her back and the air disappear once again from her lungs. She began coughing again as she struggled to breathe.

Patrick Doyle knelt down behind her and moved his face close to hers as he said, "Be ready, love, that's only the beginning of everything yet to come"

The blonde barely heard him walk out of the room, but she did hear the door slam shut, as she still struggled to breathe. She remained curled up in a fetal position on the floor as she continued her breathing struggle, until she was finally able to take some much needed breaths of air. As she finally got it under control she noticed a sharp pain in her left ribs every time she breathed. She once again closed her eyes as she told herself that she was going to be okay.

As Patrick Doyle left the blonde woman struggling to breathe on the floor of her room, he made his way to the opposite end of the warehouse where he was keeping the brunette woman. He knew he was angry and the moment he opened the door and saw the brunette sitting on the floor he grew even angrier. He watched as she pushed herself up the wall to stand up.

"Which child do you want to live?" he asked her in an angry tone

"What?" she asked confused

He took a few quick steps towards her before repeating the question, "I said which child do you wish to save?"

"I'm not choosing between my kids" she answered sharply

"So you are choosing for all of them to die?" he questioned

She narrowed her eyes at him before speaking, "No. But I think you are bluffing. You aren't going to kill Ethan or Declan because they are your brother's children, making them your nephews"

The older man smiled smugly at the brunette, "Why would I want to keep a kid that looks just like you?"

Emily smiled back, "Because whether you like it or not he's still Ian's son…And because, as I recall, you think that he is more like Ian than he is letting on, so you think you can train him into becoming a killer"

"Well then, that should make your choice easy" Patrick told her

Emily shook her head, "I won't choose between them, because I know that's what you want me to do…And because I have a feeling the one I chose, is actually the one you would kill, because you said you were going to take the most important people away from me, to make me suffer. And if I chose one of them, you would take that to mean he was the most important to me…so I am not going to choose"

"You stupid bitches" he shouted as he made his way towards Emily

She showed no fear as he wrapped his left hand around her throat and shoved her hard into the concrete wall. He continued to press his hand into her throat as she struggled to breathe, but she didn't fight him, which is what angered him. He finally let go and she fell forward slightly as she coughed in some air.

He then grabbed her by the arm and began to lead her out of the room. He led her down a short hallway before turning down another one, recognizing it as the hall where she and her family had first been stashed. He stopped outside a door and reached forward to unlatch it and swing it open.

"Let's see what your decision is now" he told her harshly as he shoved her into the room where she came face to face with Ethan and Henry, who were sitting against the wall in the corner of the room.

She immediately made eye contact with the two boys and her heart broke. Ethan had his arm wrapped around Henry's shoulders, obviously trying to comfort him. But she could tell, even though his face wasn't exhibiting any fear, that on the inside he was beyond frightened. As she looked at Henry, the sandy haired boy was not afraid of showing his fear. Emily could tell he had been crying and the fear was evident across his face.

"Mama" Henry cried as he attempted to get up and run towards her

However, Patrick stepped in front of Emily and held his gun out, pointing it at Henry and halting the seven year olds movements.

Emily immediately retaliated as she kicked the older man from behind before kicking the gun out of his hand. As he fell to his knees she made her way forward towards the two boys. Henry had recoiled back to Ethan's embrace and they were both standing against the wall, the brunette boy's arms tightly around the blonde boy. She bent down in front of them as she tried to calm them down.

Unfortunately, before she could say anything Patrick grabbed her hair and yanked her backwards as hard as he could. With her momentum he spun her around and ran her face first into the concrete wall that was beside them. She managed to turn her head to the side, but she felt her right cheekbone crack and her head bounce off of the wall as he kept a hold on her hair and yanked her backwards tossing her onto the floor. Then he swung his foot into her left side as hard as he could. Just as he was about to kick her again Ethan pushed himself away from the wall and ran as fast as he could at the older man. He pulled his foot back and swung as hard as he could connecting with the man's knee. Patrick flinched slightly as he turned his attention to the small brunette boy just as the boy charged at him again.

"Leave my mom alone" he shouted as he threw his small body into the older man's

Patrick laughed as Ethan practically bounced off of his toned body. But that didn't seem to deter the eleven year old who just tried to swing his leg at the older man again. However, Patrick caught the boy's foot and yanked it hard, causing Ethan to fall hard onto his back, next to his mother. Emily had caught her breath by that time and she saw that Patrick was laughing and that he was about to kick Ethan so she rolled quickly over the top of her son to try to shield him from the force of the kick. She felt the boot connect with her back, but it was not as hard as she had anticipated.

"Well isn't that sweet" Patrick laughed as he looked down at Emily, who was half on top of Ethan

Emily looked up at him angrily and he continued to laugh before saying, "None of this would have happened if you wouldn't have attacked me while ago"

"You pointed a gun in my seven year old sons face" she responded harshly

"I was just giving him a warning. But now that you've gone and pissed me off, you are going to have to pay" he stated angrily as he turned and walked towards Henry

Emily immediately rolled the rest of the way off of Ethan as she got to her feet. Patrick grabbed Henry by the arm and began pulling him towards the door. Emily took off towards them yelling.

"Stop…Wait, please" she shouted as she got closer

Patrick moved his hand from Henry's arm to the back of the boy's neck, gripping it tightly and causing the seven year old to begin crying.

"This is your fault Emily Prentiss. You just remember that from now on. Everything that happens here…Everything that has led up to this moment is because of decisions you have made throughout your life" He told her harshly

He then brought his left hand, which held his gun, up to the side of Henry's head and pushed the gun into the small boy's temple, "I have no use for him"

"Please" Emily begged as she stood just a few feet from Patrick and Henry

"And I know how much he means to you" Patrick added

"I'll do whatever you want, just please leave him alone" Emily begged again, tears brimming in her eyes

"AND I know that there is no way that Jennifer would ever forgive you if something happened to him that was your fault" Patrick continued with a smug smile on his face

"Patrick, please, I'm begging you…isn't that what you want? I'm offering myself to you in place of him. I'll do whatever you want" the brunette told him, a tear escaping her eye and sliding down her cheek

Patrick smiled again before saying, "Well you made me angry and now you have to pay"

With that he clenched the back of Henry's neck tighter as he tried to turn the small boy away from Emily and Ethan, who was sitting up on the floor. But Henry tried to fight off the older man, tears running down his face. He was able to get out of Patrick's grasp and ran towards Emily.

"Mama" he cried as she knelt down and felt his little arms wrap around her neck

Emily couldn't control the tears that began to run down her cheeks as she felt the seven year old hold tightly to her neck and she could feel his tears on her neck.

"It's okay baby" she tried to reassure him, just before Patrick grabbed Henry by the waist and began to tug him away from her

"NO" she shouted, "Please don't"

She watched in horror as Henry was ripped away from her and dragged away by his arm, tears running down his face as he yelled for Emily. Patrick Doyle slammed the door shut behind him and Emily dropped her head slightly before she heard two gunshots.

Her head immediately snapped up, before she sank back onto her legs and began to cry as she shouted, "NOOOO…You sick son of a bitch! I will kill you!"

A few moments later Ethan knelt down in front of her and threw his arms around her neck, holding onto her tightly, as he began to cry into her neck. Then a few minutes later Patrick opened the door again and as soon as Emily saw him she stood up, holding her ground. She stepped in front of Ethan and the older man just smiled.

"You stay the hell away from him" the brunette said angrily

Patrick laughed at her words before adding his own, "Do you really think you are going to be able to stop me? You weren't able to save little Henry, so what makes you think you can save this one?"

Emily felt herself lose control as she swung her foot into his kneecap, before bringing her knee up into his groin, and then using her full body strength to slam her shoulder into his chest, causing him to fall backwards, and Emily falling on top of him. As Emily rolled off of him and he struggled to catch a breath, Ethan watched in horror as the older man pulled a knife out of his boot. Emily was rolling to sit up and she had her back to him as Patrick brought the knife up and began to roll to a sitting position. Ethan ran towards him, yelling, catching Emily's attention. But as Emily spun back around she watched in horror as Patrick grabbed Ethan and caused him to lose his balance, his head connecting with the concrete wall. The eleven year old fell to the floor and didn't move as he laid on his side, facing the wall.

"You bastard" Emily shouted as she stood up at the same time as the older man, "He's your flesh and blood"

"But definitely not the kid I would have chosen for myself" he replied, angering the brunette even more, "You just keep losing kid after kid"

Emily knew she couldn't fight him with her hands behind her back, but she wasn't going to back down either. So they began circling each other, as Patrick called for Justin. The younger man came into the room, his gun up ready to use.

"Take the kid and get rid of him if he's dead. If he's still alive then clean him up and I'll come check on him when I'm finished with her"

Justin nodded as he made his way over to the small brunette boy. Emily watched, still trying to keep an eye on Patrick, as Justin rolled the eleven year old onto his back and felt for a pulse. She looked at Ethan, his white collared shirt filthy and now ripped in a few places. She watched as Justin scooped him up into his arms, and as he turned to walk away Emily could see the blood running down the side of Ethan's face. It was enough to distract her as Patrick swung his knife at her, slicing her upper right arm open. She fell backwards slightly, before he grabbed her by the throat, again, and shoved her into the wall, holding the knife to her throat and pressing his body against hers.

"You really piss me off. If you would just play by my rules you wouldn't have one dead son and one possibly dead son" he said, his breath hot against her face

"Go to hell" she responded

He smiled widely, "I thought you might say something like that. So I'm going to give you a few minutes to think about what's going to happen next, because you aren't going to like it one bit and there won't be anything you can do about it"

With that he pushed her harder into the wall before pushing himself away from her and the wall. He turned and walked towards the door, turning around one last time to give her a wink before leaving the room and shutting the door behind him.

Emily sunk to the ground, her legs out in front of her before bringing her knees up to her chest. She leaned her head back against the wall and closed her eyes trying to fight back the tears that wanted to continue to fall. She could not believe everything that was happening, and everything that had happened. She saw Ethan's black tie laying next to her and she bent over slightly to grip it in her hands.

She never thought anything like this would ever happen. She began to let the tears freely fall down her cheeks as she began to think about Henry and Ethan. She prayed that Patrick was playing some sick joke and that Henry was really okay. She also prayed that Ethan was okay and that the blood she saw running down the side of his head was just a scrape, even though she knew better.

Then she began to cry for JJ and Declan because she had no idea where they were or if they were okay. She also began to think about how JJ would react to everything that had just happened, especially with Henry.

"She's never going to forgive me" Emily said out loud, as she thought about the effects if Henry was really dead

A few hours later Patrick came back into the room and walked over to stand in front of her.

"Get up" he ordered harshly as he looked down at her

"Prove to me that my kids are alright and I'll do whatever you want" she replied from her sitting position

"I said get up" he shouted as he reached down and grabbed her upper right arm in the same area he had cut her earlier

She hissed out slightly in pain, trying her best not to give him the satisfaction, but he made it a point to squeeze her arm as tightly as he could. He yanked her up and dragged her along beside him out of the room that they were in. He led her down the hallway and across part of the warehouse to the other side.

"Is Ethan alright?" she asked as Patrick continued to drag her to their destination

"Does it matter? You aren't going to live through tomorrow anyway. But first you get to watch your family die, knowing it was your fault" he told her with a harsh smile

She glared at him before he stopped outside of a door where Timothy was stationed. Emily watched as Patrick nodded to Timothy and the younger man opened the door. Patrick shoved Emily inside and she gasped when she saw JJ sitting against the wall.

"JJ" Emily said as brown eyes met blue

"Emily" JJ responded as she slowly stood up, her hands still taped behind her back

Patrick followed the brunette inside the room, "Well isn't this sweet. Too bad neither of you are going to like where this is going to go"

Emily began to walk towards JJ but Patrick grabbed her by the hair, halting her movements, "I don't think so Emily. We are about to play a little game…well I'm going to play a little game…and it might just decide the fate of you girlfriend here"

Emily continued to keep her eyes trained on JJ's, both women attempting to only see each other.

"Now, sit down" Patrick told Emily as he shoved her to her knees causing her too hiss out in pain as her already injured knee came in contact with the hard ground and she felt Ethan's tie slip out of her hands and onto the ground.

"Don't move" he told Emily as walked away from her and made his way towards the blonde

Patrick reached up to brush some blonde hair out of JJ's face and she turned away from him. The older man took a deep breath before grabbing her hair and yanking her face back towards him.

"You better play by the rules, JayJay, or even more people are going to die…or get hurt" he told her harshly, spit flying from his mouth and hitting her in the face

"Leave her alone" Emily shouted from her kneeling position in the middle of the room

"SHUT UP" he yelled as he grabbed the blonde by the throat, kneeing her in the stomach, causing her to double over in pain

He took that opportunity to flip the blonde onto the ground. Then he grabbed her by the hair again and dragged her towards Emily.

"STOP IT" the brunette shouted as she attempted to stand up

Patrick saw her movements and immediately pulled out his knife, placing it against the blonde's throat, "Move and I will not hesitate to slice her throat open. Then this time you can actually watch her bleed to death, rather than just listening to a gunshot"

Emily froze at the sight of the knife on JJ's throat, as well as the words that had come out of Patrick Doyle's mouth.

Patrick felt that he was close enough to Emily that she could see exactly what was happening, without being able to do anything about it, so he let go of the blonde's hair and put the knife away.

"What are you talking about?" JJ questioned as she laid on the floor, looking from the older man, over to Emily, "I heard the gunshots earlier…who was shooting?"

Emily just stared at the blonde as Patrick watched the interchange between the two women, "Would you like me to tell her for you Emily?" he asked

"No, it was nothing JJ. He was just trying to scare me" Emily said trying to reassure the blonde

She knew that once JJ found out about Henry, there would either be complete anger and she would get herself killed trying to seek revenge, or, she would just completely give up. Either way the brunette knew she needed to keep it from the younger woman for as long as she could.

"Now, now, Emily. Do you always lie to your wife?" Patrick asked as he stood, straddling over JJ

He looked at Emily before turning his attention back to the younger blonde woman, "Your brave wife over there broke down in tears not too long ago over those gunshots. She was a blubbery mess"

JJ looked from the older man over to the brunette and as she looked into her deep brown eyes she could see the sorrow that was in them, before Emily noticed and began to put up her walls.

"Don't listen to him Jayje, he's just trying to upset you" the brunette told the blonde

"Well it should be upsetting. Your little boy is dead" Patrick said as he looked from Emily down to JJ

He watched as the blonde turned her attention away from Emily to look up at him.

"What?" JJ questioned hoarsely

"JJ" Emily said trying to get her attention, but to no avail

"What did you do?" the blonde asked as she stared up into blue eyes

He began to laugh as he looked down at the woman, not answering her question.

"JJ look at me" Emily tried again

"JENNIFER" the brunette shouted finally catching the blonde's attention

JJ turned her attention away from the man standing above her to look at her wife, who was still kneeling in the same position.

"You can't give up" Emily told her, "I am so sorry"

"For what?" the blonde asked

Patrick Doyle continued to laugh before cutting into the conversation, "She's sorry that she couldn't save your little boy"

JJ looked back up at the gray haired, fit man, "Which one?" she asked, her eyes full of tears

He bent down closer to her before smiling, "YOUR son…Henry"

The blonde was silent for a moment until the words sunk in, "What did you do?" she shouted

"I told you both that I was going to take the most important things from you and that's what I am doing" he told her before turning to look at the brunette, who once again had eyes full of tears

JJ swung her foot up, attempting to connect with Doyle's groin, again, but he anticipated it this time. He grabbed her leg, stopping her movements. Emily took that opportunity to get up and make her way towards the two. However, when she was about two steps away Timothy came into room holding a gun.

"Move and I'll blow your brains out" he said pointing the gun at Emily

Emily kept her body facing forward, but turned slightly to see the weapon trained on her. Patrick allowed himself to sink down so that he was sitting, straddling JJ's waist.

"Get back down on your knees" he said as he looked up at Emily

She turned back to Patrick and JJ before slowly going back down onto her knees. Then the older man nodded at Timothy, who turned and left the room, this time shutting the door behind him.

"I should just kill both of you right now, but then you wouldn't suffer like I had planned" Patrick stated as he continued to sit on top of JJ

Emily's eyes connected with JJ's and she could see her blue eyes filled with tears, and she knew the younger woman wanted to scream and cry for Henry, but she was doing her best to fight it.

"Jen, please. Promise me you'll keep fighting, that you won't give up" Emily said, not caring that Patrick was listening to everything she was saying

The blonde just stared at her and Emily began to worry even more.

"Jennifer, please, promise me you won't give up" she said again, this time almost begging

"Aww isn't that sweet. Although she doesn't really have anything to live for if you think about it. I mean the two little ones are dead. And I plan on taking Declan with me…"

Emily saw JJ's eyes shoot up at Patrick at the mention of two little ones, "What do you mean two little ones?"

"Well Emily decided to cause more problems and attempted to fight me after what happened to Henry and she caused little Ethan to get hurt. Now, he could be alive for all I know, but he was bleeding pretty bad from his head. And even if he is alive I'll be taking him with me as well" he stated

"You sick son of a bitch" JJ spat at him

"Oh honey you ain't seen nothing yet" he said before reaching down and gripping her cheeks roughly with one hand as he bent down and placed his lips to hers

Emily watched in horror as the older man pressed his lips to the blonde's as JJ struggled to get away.

"STOP IT" Emily shouted

Patrick finally removed his lips and released his hand from JJ's face as he sat back up with a smile on his face. JJ, however, had other plans and spit in his face. Emily watched the smile drain from Patricks face before it turned to anger. He reached down and pulled the knife from his boot before placing it against JJ's cheek and pressed it lightly into her skin, piercing it enough to draw blood.

"NO! LEAVE HER ALONE" Emily shouted again

The older man leaned back and looked at the brunette before looking back at the blonde, "Do you love her as much as she seems to love you?" he questioned the blonde

JJ didn't answer, but just glared up at him as a thin line of blood drained from the puncture wound on her right cheek. He pushed himself off of the blonde before turning towards Emily, taking the two steps to stand in front of her.

"How much do you love her Jennifer" he said spitting her name out harshly

"Don't" JJ begged from the floor

"Don't what?" he questioned as he held the blade of the knife out, pointing it at Emily's chest

"Please I'll do whatever you want, just leave her alone" the blonde said

"No Jen, it's okay" Emily replied

"You would really still give yourself for her, even thought she got your son killed? Possibly two sons?" he asked as he turned to look at the blonde

Emily dropped her eyes to the ground but JJ continued to stare at the brunette from her position on the floor, willing the older woman to look at her. Finally, Emily looked up when JJ hadn't said anything and her brown eyes came into contact with blue ones, staring intently at her and JJ could see the defeat and sorrow in her wife's dark eyes.

"It wasn't her fault. She would never intentionally put anyone she loves in danger" the blonde said keeping her eyes trained on Emily's, hoping the brunette could see the truth in her blue orbs

JJ then moved her eyes away from Emily to stare up at Patrick Doyle and narrowed her eyes at the older man, "So go to hell you fucking bastard"

Emily's eyes grew wide at JJ's language. The blonde never used that word, unless in certain situations and if she was highly pissed off.

"Well if you insist" the older man said before backhanding Emily across her left cheek with the butt of the knife, knocking her to the ground

"NOOO" JJ shouted as she began to sit up, her ribs burning in pain as she did

Patrick Doyle immediately spun back to the blonde, as the brunette struggled to sit up. Emily shook her head trying to will away the pain when she saw Patrick back on top of JJ. Her eyes grew wide as she saw the older man push the blonde's royal blue spaghetti strap shirt up, revealing the blondes flat stomach, before pushing it all the way up, over her breasts so that the shirt was resting around JJ's neck. JJ was struggling the whole time, wiggling back and forth trying to stop his advances.

"STOP" Emily shouted as she sat up, "LEAVE HER ALONE"

Patrick ignored her as his hands slid up the blonde's stomach to her breasts, where he grasped both of them roughly, causing JJ to bite her lip in pain. JJ continued to struggle so Patrick punched her hard in the side of the head, dazing her.

"You fucking ass hole, I will kill you. Leave her alone" Emily said again as she watched JJ struggle to focus

Emily didn't fight back the tears that began to fall as she watched him slip his hands inside the blonde's bra and take both breasts in his hands. JJ was finally coherent enough again and began wiggling again.

"GET OFF ME" she shouted as she spit into his face again

Emily forced herself to her feet at this time as well as she began to run at Patrick Doyle. Unfortunately, he had already picked up the knife that was beside him and swung it at Emily just as she made it to him. The knife dug into the side of Emily's left leg, just above her knee. She cried out in pain but still managed to push all of her weight forward, falling into Patrick and knocking him off of JJ.

"EMILY" JJ yelled as she watched the knife penetrate into the brunette's thigh right before she felt the weight of the older man leave her as Emily knocked him off of her

The blonde watched as Patrick grabbed Emily and flipped her off of him, before flipping her onto her stomach. Then he knelt over her, straddling her back as he grabbed her by the back of the neck, squeezing tightly. He moved his left leg and pushed his left knee into the middle of Emily's back forcefully, before releasing the hold on her neck and grabbing her hair with his right hand, yanking it back roughly. Then he released the knee from her back and dragged her around to face JJ. He made sure the women were only a couple feet apart as he replaced his knee on Emily's back. Then he reached down with his left hand and pulled the knife out of Emily's leg roughly, causing her to yell out in pain. JJ let the tears fall as she watched her wife cry out in pain. Patrick then took the knife and brought it to Emily's throat as he exposed her throat by continuing to hold her head back by her hair.

"NO PLEASE…don't" JJ begged as watched in fear the knife placed against Emily's throat, right in front of her

"Are you going to stop fighting me?" he asked as he looked at JJ

The blonde looked from Emily to Patrick before nodding, "Yes…I'll do whatever you want just…don't"

"JJ, no" Emily replied hoarsely, causing Patrick to yank her head back again, making her wince it pain as he dug the knife into her skin, just enough to pierce it and cause blood to begin trickling down her neck.

"I said I would do whatever you want so leave her alone" JJ stated angrily

"Jen" Emily begged

The blonde just turned away from Emily, not able to look at her for fear of losing control of her emotions.

"Just to make sure you keep your word and she doesn't try anything else stupid" the older man said

Emily felt Patrick release his hold on her hair and felt him remove his knee from her back right before he cut the tape from her hands. She felt her body tense up in fear and confusion before he bent her right hand up, back behind her back again, and pressed his right knee, along with most of his body weight onto her.

"TIM" Patrick shouted towards the door

A few seconds later the younger man stepped inside and the older man motioned him over.

"I want you to help me hold her down. But first grab that screwdriver I was using earlier" Patrick told Timothy

The younger man nodded as he turned back around and disappeared through the door before returning a couple of minutes later with a long screwdriver in his hand. He handed it to Patrick before taking over his position, while the older man moved slightly in front of Emily.

"You shouldn't be able to move much after this" he told the brunette with an evil smile

JJ turned to see what was going on and watched in confusion as did the brunette, before Patrick stretched Emily's left hand slightly out in front of her, placing it palm down on the ground. JJ and Emily's eyes both grew wide at the same time as they watched the older man bring the long screwdriver down, as Emily began to struggle, but was not much use under so much weight, before penetrating through the top of Emily's hand and connecting to the ground, inevitably pinning her hand to the ground.

"NOOOOO" JJ shouted in horror as Emily cried out in pain, her head falling to the ground

"Maybe that will teach you" Patrick said harshly as he stood up, moving back towards JJ

"Tape her other hand behind her back so she can't try anything" Patrick told Timothy

The younger man complied, leaving the room for a few minutes, before returning with a roll of duct tape. Emily slowly looked up and tried her best to glare at Patrick, but her leg was throbbing and her hand was in an ungodly amount of pain. Patrick just laughed at her attempts as Timothy yanked her right arm behind her roughly and began wrapping it with tape, before taping her hand to her back.

"That will be all Tim. I'll be out momentarily"

With that the younger man left the room, shutting the door behind him.

"Now…where were we" Patrick questioned as he stood over the blonde before slowly kneeling down, spreading her legs in the process so that he was in between them.

Emily looked up and saw the older man's position and she could feel the anger rising inside her once again.

"Patrick why don't you just kill me and get it over with" Emily stated angrily

JJ turned her head towards her wife's voice and each woman could see the sadness and tears in one another's eyes.

"Now where would the fun in that be" he replied

Emily watched as the older man's hand slid down JJ's body to the button on her pants. She looked at JJ and saw her eyes grown wide in anticipation of what was about to happen.

"DOYLE don't. Leave her alone" Emily shouted as she began to struggle

Patrick just laughed as Emily hissed in pain as she tried moving. She struggled to get her right hand free of the tape, but was just causing more friction on her left hand which was pinned to the ground. She looked back at Patrick and watched as he unbuttoned and unzipped JJ's white capris. Tears began to steadily fall from the brunettes eyes, knowing she couldn't do anything to stop what was about to happen.

"Please" Emily begged again

JJ turned her head so that she could look at Emily and the blonde's heart broke as she saw the tears running down her wife's face. She knew Emily couldn't do anything and she also knew that was killing the brunette on the inside. Tears began to flow down the blonde's face as she held eye contact with the brunette.

While JJ was thinking about Emily's feelings, the brunette was doing the same about the blonde. Her heart broke at what was happening to the beautiful blonde and she knew she wasn't fighting because of what Patrick would do to her. But she always felt like it was her place to make sure nothing happened to the younger woman, while she also knew that the past few years JJ had felt the same way about Emily.

Just as Patrick was reaching inside the blonde's pants the door swung open to reveal Chloe. Patrick removed his hand and turned to look at the young brunette who was clearly angry about something.

"What the hell?" he asked, clearly annoyed

"We need to talk. NOW" she stated, "Your fun can wait until later"

The older man puffed out an air of anger before pushing himself up off of JJ. He looked down and smiled at both women, "Don't worry loves, I'll be back soon"

Then he turned and walked out of the room, slamming the door shut behind him.

As soon as he was gone JJ closed her eyes and let out a sigh, while Emily let her face hit the ground as she let out the breath she had been holding.

A couple of minutes later JJ turned her head to look over at the brunette, who still had her face down against the ground.

"Emily" JJ said in a slightly hoarse voice

At first Emily didn't respond, just shook her head lightly at JJ's voice, so the blonde tried again,

"Em"

Emily took a deep breath as she slowly lifted her head, her eyes making contact with JJ's. The blonde smiled slightly at the older woman.

"Are you okay?" JJ asked as she directed her eyes to the brunette's left hand, which was still pinned to the ground by the screwdriver

"I'm just dandy" Emily answered sarcastically

JJ looked back at Emily, waiting until the brunette made eye contact with her. When blue eyes met brown, she waited a moment, just letting their eyes do the talking.

"I'm okay Emily" the blonde told her

Emily just shook her head, "For now. He's going to come back…and…I can't…I-"

"Emily, it's not your fault"

"Yes it is"

"Em-"

"JJ he's right. My past has done nothing but haunt me…and now…now it's a nightmare come true…for all the people I love" the brunette said sadly as she tore her eyes away from her wife's

They were both silent for a few minutes until JJ sat up and moved toward Emily. The brunette looked up to see JJ beside her.

"What are you doing?" Emily asked

"I'm going to try to get your hand untaped. It doesn't look like he did a very good job" the blonde stated as she turned and squatted down, her back to Emily's side

JJ then reached her taped hands out behind her until she felt Emily's arm. She slid her hands carefully down the brunettes arm until she felt the tape on her back. JJ worked at a little and was able to get a piece loose. She turned to check her progress and smiled down at Emily, who had turned her head slightly to look at the blonde. JJ worked a couple more minutes until she felt the tape come completely loose and she felt Emily's hand slide free.

The blonde then turned around and saw her wife rotating her wrist and shaking it lightly to loosen it up. Then Emily put some of her weight on it and brought her right knee up under her, trying not to pull on her left hand at all and at the same time not put too much weight on her left leg. JJ winced in pain for her wife and moved to kneel in front of her.

"Emily"

"It's okay Jayje. I just have to get this thing out of my hand" she told the blonde without looking at her

"Do you want me to do it?" JJ asked, getting Emily to finally meet her eyes again

"I love you Jen, but your hands are taped behind your back" the brunette pointed out

"What if you tried to get them loose?" JJ suggested

"With my one good hand?" Emily asked in a tone harsher than intended

JJ ignored the tone of her wife's voice, "It was just a suggestion"

"I know…I'm sorry" replied Emily, "I just think…it would probably be easier if I got you undone after I get this thing out of my hand"

JJ nodded, "Okay"

The blonde sat beside the brunette, the pain for her wife evident on her face. As she looked back down at Emily's leg she could see the blood that had pooled on the ground. As she turned her attention back to Emily's hand, she noticed there wasn't really a lot of blood, but she knew once the screwdriver came out it would be a different story and she couldn't keep her heart from breaking further for her wife.

Emily noticed the way JJ was staring at her and her wounds.

"JJ" Emily said getting the blondes attention

As blue eyes met brown Emily said, "I'm okay" before adding a half smile

JJ rolled her eyes, "Are you mimicking me?"

Emily shrugged lightly with her right shoulder, "Maybe…"

JJ shook her head at her wife but did release a small smile, "You're ridiculous"

Emily didn't reply but instead brought her right hand across her body to grab hold of the screwdriver. JJ's eyes began to widen as she watched the brunette take a deep breath, bite her lower lip, close her eyes, and then yank the screwdriver upwards with as much strength as she had. As the blonde saw the screwdriver come out of Emily's hand she turned her attention immediately back to the brunettes face and she could see the agony across the older woman's features and heard the load groan of pain that escaped her, followed by some whimpering, despite her best efforts to remain quiet. JJ watched, horrified, as Emily dropped the screwdriver and slammed her right hand palm down onto the ground several times in a row as her face hit the ground, again, trying her best to release the pain she was feeling as quietly as she could. At that moment JJ wanted nothing more than to be able to pull Emily into her arms to help soothe her, but that was impossible with her hands still taped behind her.

JJ gave Emily a few more moments before she spoke up, "Emily?"

The brunette took a second before lifting her head and making eye contact with the blonde, both of their eyes red and full of tears, some of which were already streaming down their faces. Emily slowly pulled herself to a sitting position, wincing slightly when she pulled her left leg up. She sat facing JJ, both women just staring at each other for a moment.

"Turn around" Emily said weakly

"Em"

"Just turn around JJ, I'm okay. Let me get you undone" she stated, the pain still evident in her voice

The blonde spun around, wincing slightly in pain herself from her ribs. A few seconds later she felt Emily's good hand working with the tape and JJ could tell she was struggling.

"Emily it's okay if you can't get it" JJ told her

"It's fine JJ. I got it" Emily said harshly, determined to get her wife out of her restraints

JJ started to object again, but she knew that Emily would be too stubborn to listen and the last thing she wanted was to get into an argument with her at a time like this.

JJ felt the brunette bring her injured hand up to help work the tape loose and the blonde knew that she was biting back the sounds of her pain. Every second or so, the blonde would hear Emily gasp in pain. But finally a few minutes later JJ felt her hands loosen up and she helped Emily pull enough to get her hands out of the tape. JJ immediately spun back around, hissing out in pain, as she came face to face with Emily. The brunette smiled slightly, but JJ could see the pain in that smile.

"Oh Emily" JJ said as she leaned forward and wrapped her arms around the brunettes neck, pulling her in tightly

Emily returned the hug, wrapping her arms around JJ's waist and hugging her tightly as she leaned her body into the blonde. JJ gasped slightly and Emily immediately pulled away.

"What is it? What's wrong?" she asked in a concerned tone

"Nothing…just my ribs…I think they are a little bruised" she answered

They stared at each other a moment before Emily face scrunched up in pain.

"Emily we need to stop the bleeding" JJ stated

"Pssshhhh, where" she said sarcastically

JJ glared at her wife before getting up and looking around the room. She also took that moment to refasten her pants. She saw something long and black on the other side of the room, near the door. She walked over to it and bent down to pick it up. As she held it in her hands her eyes began to fill up with tears when she realized it was Ethan's tie. She sucked both of her lips into her mouth, to stifle the cry that wanted to escape when she realized that both of her little boys could be dead.

Emily knew something was wrong, just by the blonde's demeanor.

"Jennifer?" she said quietly

JJ took a deep breath before standing up carefully, to avoid as much pain as possible from her ribs. She turned and headed back over to Emily. She knelt down beside the brunette as she looked Emily in the eyes.

"I'm going to wrap this around your leg, like a tourniquet, to try to at least help control the bleeding"

Emily just nodded slightly so JJ slipped the tie under Emily's left leg, making sure the widest part of the tie would cover the wound on her leg. Then JJ pulled it tight, causing Emily to hiss in pain as she bit her bottom lip. JJ looked nervously at her wife, but Emily just nodded quickly, her face contorted in pain. JJ tied a knot, finishing it quickly.

"Sorry" the blonde said meaningfully

"It's okay" Emily reassured her

"We should probably wrap that hand in something also" JJ told her as she nodded towards her hand

Emily nodded as she looked down at her hand, "You know, he didn't do all that much of a bang up job with the screwdriver. It could have been a lot worse. I mean I can still move my hand and fingers somewhat, even though it's painful. If he would have gone straight through the bone, I'd be in a lot worse shape"

JJ stared at her wife as Emily's eyes came back up to meet her blue ones.

"What?" Emily asked at seeing JJ's expression

JJ shook her head slowly not being able to say anything. She looked down at Emily's right leg and noticed her khaki capris were already ripped at her knee.

"I'm going to tear off the bottom of your pant's leg here, since it's already torn. We can use it to wrap your hand" JJ said as she leaned forward and grabbed the piece of khaki material.

She finished ripping it the rest of the way off, folding the material in half before reaching out as Emily held her hand towards her. JJ began to carefully wrap her wife's injured hand, ending it with a tight knot. As JJ began to pull her hands away, Emily grabbed one of them with her good hand and squeezed JJ's. Blue eyes looked up into brown and neither said anything for a moment.

"I'm sorry" Emily told JJ in a very serious tone

"Emily-"

The brunette cut her off, "No, JJ, just listen, okay. I'm sorry…I'm sorry for everything…For everything that's happened the last couple of days…for what my past has involved and what it's done to us…to you"

Emily's voice got quieter as her eyes dropped to the ground for a moment before coming back up and meeting JJ's blue ones.

"I'm sorry for what's going to happen…I'm sorry I couldn't protect you…and…" she began to let some tears fall before finishing, "Henry…I…you can hate me all you want…but just know…just know that I am going to do everything in my power to save your life…no matter what"

"Emily I-"

"But promise me that no matter what happens, that you'll be okay…that you will move on with your life…promise me that you will be happy again"

JJ began to let the tears fall down her face at the mention of her son and at what Emily was implying.

"I'm sorry that I came into your life, because it's been nothing but bad news for you and if I could rewind-"

This time JJ cut Emily off, "Don't you dare finish that sentence Emily Prentiss. Don't you regret one minute of one day with me, because I know it's not true. And I don't regret anything. Especially when it comes to you. Do you hear me?"

Emily dropped her eyes when JJ had started talking, but JJ reached over and lifted the brunette's chin with her hand, looking into her tear filled eyes.

"I. Do. Not. Regret. You." she told the older woman in a serious tone, "And we are going to make it out of this alive"

"How can you say that?" Emily questioned

"Which part?" JJ questioned, "I would never regret you…and I have to believe that we are going to make it out of here…or else, what's the point"

Emily just stared at the blonde, amazed at her strength. She had more strength than she was given credit for most of the time. Something that had always amazed the brunette.

Emily shifted her body weight, immediately wincing from pain in her leg. JJ quickly reached out to the brunette, carefully, she wrapped her arms around Emily's shoulders and eased her down further to lay down.

"JJ"

"Emily you need to rest" the blonde said, more of an order than a suggestion

JJ stretched her legs out in front of her and leaned her back against the wall as she helped Emily lay down on her right side, her head finding a place on JJ's lap. Emily sighed as she felt JJ's hand start running through her hair.

"I won't fall asleep" Emily stated

"I know" JJ replied with a shake of her head

They sat in silence, both women internally dreading the return of Patrick Doyle. After a few more moments of silence JJ spoke up again.

"I don't think they're dead"

"What?" replied Emily in confusion

"Henry and Ethan" JJ answered

Emily was silent, not wanting to say anything at the moment for fear of having a breakdown. JJ noticed her wife's silence but continued on.

"Emily think about it. He wants you to suffer, but he didn't kill either of the boys in front of you, right?"

Emily shook her head but still didn't say anything.

"If he really wanted to kill them he would have done it in front of you. But he took them away from you, where you couldn't see what was happening, because he still has control that way and at the same time makes you suffer. He's telling you they're dead but he hasn't shown you any proof"

JJ was silent for a moment before she spoke up again, "And that's exactly what you did to Ian Doyle. He suffered because he thought that you had killed Declan, when in actuality you hadn't. Maybe he's trying to show you what it's like by using Henry and Ethan"

"Well it's working" Emily said, finally speaking up

"But you have to admit, it makes sense, right? There's a possibility that they are alive?" this time the blonde was questioning herself as well, and Emily knew it, but she also knew the blonde had a very good point

Emily turned her head to look up at JJ, "It makes total sense…and yes, there is a possibility that they are still alive"

JJ nodded as she looked at Emily, trying her best to hide the fact that on the inside she was falling apart, but she knew she couldn't afford to have a breakdown at this point. She had to keep it together, for her family…her entire…extended family.

"You're right about not giving up" JJ said as she looked down at the brunette

Emily nodded, not making eye contact with JJ.

"But you have to promise me that you won't give up either" the blonde stated

Emily slowly turned her head to look up at JJ.

"Promise me Emily. Promise me that we won't go down without a fight. I don't know how long we have been here, but I'm guessing it's been almost two days and I don't think we have that much time left"

"JJ-"

"We have to fight Emily…promise me" the blonde said seriously as she looked down into the brunettes dark eyes

Emily nodded slightly, "When have I ever gone down without a fight "

JJ smiled slightly, and nodded, as she reached over and grabbed the bloodied screwdriver, gripping it tightly and bringing to rest next to her thigh.

The two women then began discussing a plan to fight back against their captors.

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><p>AN: Crazy chapter, I know! My plan is for the next chapter to be more about Declan and maybe the other boys…


	13. Chapter 12

A/N: Yes I am super psyched that they are not killing off Emily! However I have a feeling the wedding is going to be JJ and Will's…sigh. Oh well even though I really don't like Will, it's better than Emily dying. Moving on, thanks for more great reviews, you guys, seriously, are awesome.

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><p>Ch 12<p>

Declan sat on the floor, his back against the wall, trying to think of any way that he could help get his family out of their current situation. He knew he might just be a kid, but he refused to think that there was nothing he could do to help. He sighed as he leaned his head back against the wall and closed his eyes. Then he remembered that he had given his cell phone to Henry after the men had taken Emily and JJ away from them when they first arrived. He had given it to the little boy thinking that the men wouldn't search him. He had no idea where Henry was, though, or Ethan for that matter, or even if they were okay. He remembered he had turned his phone off to save battery power for when they needed it most. He also remembered telling his seven year old brother to use it when he was safe and wouldn't get caught. But no one had come yet and he had no idea how long they had been in the warehouse. He was guessing about three days and he knew they wouldn't wait much longer to finish what they had started. He had also heard the gunshots the day before and what he thought was Emily screaming, but he had tried to block any images of what might have happened from his mind.

He was brought out of his reverie when Chloe opened the door to his cell and stood there smiling at him.

"Get up love" she said as she stared at him with one hand on her hip, the other hand holding a gun

Declan looked at her and his eyes moved to the gun in her hand, before looking back up at her, "Where are we going?"

"You'll see. Come on I haven't got all day" she told him as she motioned with her gun for him to get up

He slowly slid up the wall to a standing position but didn't move as he asked, "Where are my brothers?"

"They are no longer your concern and neither are the two whore's so don't ask about them either" she told him harshly

"I'm not going anywhere until I see that they are all okay" he said trying to be strong, but he could tell his voice was slightly shaky

"You better get your ass over here or I will make you watch as I put a bullet through one of the whore's heads…how about JJ…that's the blonde one's name isn't it?"

Declan was frozen as he listened to Chloe speak, but as she turned to walk out the door he finally snapped back, "NO, wait. I'm coming"

Chloe turned back around and found the teenager slowly coming towards her and she couldn't help but smile. He was going to be easy. All they had to do was threaten the people he called family and he would do whatever they wanted. She would bet he would even kill someone if it meant saving his 'family's' lives.

As Declan reached Chloe he noted how much taller he was than she was. The teenager was betting she was no more than 5'3 maybe 5'4. He also noticed that she had been right in her earlier deductions about him. He didn't look anything like her. While she was short, with dark hair and a narrow face, he had a thick blonde head of, anywhere from curly to wavy, hair depending on the weather outside and how short or long he was wearing it. And while he wasn't by any means tall, he definitely wasn't short. And he noticed that while she had blue eyes, as did he, hers were nowhere near as bright, but more dull, although he guessed that could have something to do with sadness. He had been told on numerous occasions by Reid, that eyes could change and light up when someone was happy or had a change in mood.

She stepped aside, ushering him to walk in front of her. He glanced behind him and noticed she kept her gun pointed at his back. She led him out into the middle of the warehouse, in almost the exact same area as he had been before.

"You can stop here" she told

He slowly turned around and saw Patrick Doyle and the other older man, Adam, he thought, as he tried to remember his name.

"Ah, I see you brought our newest recruit out" Patrick Doyle stated with a smile as he walked up to Declan and Chloe

Declan gulped as the older man stepped up in front of him. He tried to hide the fact that he was intimidated, but he knew he wasn't doing a very good job. He slowly lifted his head to look up through his blonde bangs at Patrick Doyle, who was a good seven inches taller than him.

The man stood with his hands on his hips as he looked down at the obviously frightened teenage boy. He rolled his eyes, thinking if Ian would have gotten the chance to raise him, he would have turned out differently, like a true Doyle, instead of the weak teenager he was currently looking at.

"How well do you shoot?" Patrick asked Declan

"What?" the teenager questioned

"A gun. How well can you shoot a gun?" he asked again, this time in a harsher tone

"I can't" admitted the sixteen year old

"WHAT?" Patrick asked obviously shocked, "Are you kidding me?"

Declan shook his head as he stared up at the older man who had taken a step back and was pacing in a circle.

"Are you hearing this Chloe?" Patrick asked as he stopped and looked from Declan to his 'mother'

"Yeah and I think he's lying" she replied

"I'm not" Declan stated forcefully as he turned to look at the woman who had given birth to him

"You expect us to believe that you have been living with two FBI agents and they have never taught you how to shoot?" Patrick questioned with a slight laugh

"They haven't. They knew I never liked guns" Declan told them

"How could you not like guns? That's blasphemy in this family" Patrick stated

"How could I like guns? Especially when I knew where I had come from" the blonde teenager stated as he narrowed his eyes, looking from Chloe to Patrick

"Well you have been raised by two FBI agents. How is that any different?"

"Because they carry a gun to protect themselves and other people. They save people's lives. You take away people's lives" Declan said, finding courage to speak up for what he believed

"You can't hide from your past or your name forever. One day you're going to look in the mirror and realize you were living a lie. You can't escape being a Doyle" Patrick told him

"I'm not a Doyle. I'm a Prentiss" Declan stated with a smile on his face

With that Patrick backhanded him across his face at the same time as Chloe smacked him on the back of the head with her hand. Then Patrick reached down and grabbed the teenager by his hair, pulling it hard.

"You listen to me and you listen good. You are, and always will be a Doyle, whether you like it or not. And Doyle's know how to shoot a gun. So you are going to learn to shoot" he told him as he shoved him away

Declan stumbled sideways before catching himself and standing upright again.

"Now get your ass over here so you can learn to shoot" Patrick Doyle told him

Declan swallowed as he slowly walked back over to where the older man and Chloe were standing.

"You try anything funny with this gun and your "mommy Emily" will get a bullet between her eyes. Am I clear?" Patrick told him

Declan nodded as Patrick held a 9mm out for him to take. Declan swallowed again and felt his palms sweating as he took the gun in his hands.

"It's heavy" he stated

Patrick and Chloe both rolled their eyes at his observation.

"You have never even held a gun?" Patrick questioned

"I…I think I did when I was little, but Emily got mad at _him_ for that" Declan said out loud as he flashed back to a moment from his early childhood

"Of course she did" Patrick said with spite

Declan could feel the anger inside of him but took a deep breath as he held the gun tighter, "She was mad at him because she could tell by looking at me that I was scared of the gun"

"And yet she never taught you how to respect them" Patrick replied

"I respect them by not messing with them" he answered back

"I'm disappointed in her. I thought for sure she would show you how to protect yourself"

"She always knew that I was uncomfortable around guns. She asked me if I wanted to learn to shoot and I said no"

"And she left it at that?" Patrick questioned

"Yes because she respects me…and she loves me. She would never make me do something I was uncomfortable with. That's what mothers do" Declan said as he glared at Patrick Doyle

The older man stared back at the teenager. Once again he was reminded that this was not the same kid that Ian would have raised and he sighed in disappointment.

"Just point the gun at that box over there" Chloe said as she stepped up beside the teenager

Declan lifted his arms and held the gun out in front of him, pointing it at the box that was a few feet away.

"Now on the count of three pull the trigger" she continued, "One. Two. Three"

Declan pulled the trigger and felt the gun jump slightly in his hands. His eyes squeezed shut at the same time and when he opened them his ears were ringing also.

"Wow, you really suck at shooting" Chloe said with a laugh

Patrick glared at the teenager before turning to Chloe, "Maybe he inherited that from you since your men apparently can't even shoot to kill"

Chloe's smile immediately faded as she brought her gun up to point at Patrick, "Would you like to find out how good _my_ aim is"

Declan swallowed hard as he attempted to step backwards, away from the two adults who were now pointing guns at one another. But just then they both turned their guns on him, causing him to drop the gun that was in his hands. When it hit the floor it went off and all three of them jumped and ducked.

"You idiot" Patrick screamed at Declan just as they heard a cry come from off to the side where Adam had been standing

All three of them turned to see Adam laying on the ground, bleeding from his leg.

"What happened?" Declan asked confused

"You can't just drop a loaded gun, without putting the safety back on" Patrick yelled at him as he picked up the gun Declan had dropped

Declan stood next to Chloe as they both watched the older Doyle walk over to Adam and stare down at him.

"Sorry Adam, but your of no use to me anymore. This was going to happen eventually"

Declan watched in horror as Patrick raised his gun slightly as he aimed it at Adam's head and then pulled the trigger. Declan squeezed his eyes shut as the gun went off and didn't open them until he felt Chloe pop him in the back of the head. When he opened them he found Patrick Doyle standing in front of him again.

"Worthless" he muttered

The older man then turned to Chloe, "Let's treat him the way we did the other two"

Chloe nodded as she brought out a taser and held it up to the teenager's neck, holding it longer than necessary against his skin as they watched him convulse to the ground.

Even though Declan couldn't move he could still hear their voices. He heard Chloe and Patrick arguing. Something about the agents not being dead and Chloe's men not doing a good job. He squeezed his eyes shut and tried to make the pain and tingling go away, but it was no use. He tried to fight through it as he continued to listen to their heated conversation.

"You told me they were the best" Patrick yelled

"They are" Chloe shouted back

"Well I beg to differ considering both agents I asked to be killed are still alive"

"From what I heard they are barely hanging on" she spat

"Actually Agent Morgan seems to be making progress in his recovery and HE is the one I really wanted dead. He's the one who killed my brother"

"Well then we can-"

"We can't get into the hospital. They have agents watching their rooms" Patrick said, cutting her off

"We can come up with something" she replied

"Wrong. _ I_ will come up with something" he stated harshly

"Okay well now what? This kid can't shoot worth a damn. He's worthless" Chloe stated as she pointed to the blonde teenager on the ground

"He just has a lot to learn" Patrick replied

Chloe rolled her eyes.

"Bring me the other one" he said looking at the woman standing next to him

"Ethan?" she questioned with a raised eyebrow

"Yes, Ethan. He's the one that shot my son four years ago. I bet he knows how to handle a weapon" Patrick said with a smug smile on his face

"You really want to use that one? I thought you said looking at him made you sick, because he looks just like her" Chloe reminded him

"Well if he can shoot, I can learn to get past his looks. Besides there's always hair dye" he told her

"Yeah but you can't change his face" she told him as she turned her back to him

"Just get me the boy" Patrick ordered

Chloe stormed off in the direction of Ethan's cell as Patrick stood, standing over Declan, who was still laying on the floor. He shook his head as he stared down at the teenager. A few minutes later he could hear Ethan's voice as they got closer.

"I want to see my mom's" he stated, as Chloe shoved him hard from behind

Patrick turned to face the boy. As he stared down at him again, he sighed. Ethan was everything like the brunette woman, at least physically. But he doubted he could be like her in personality as well. As he looked at the boy he sighed again, noticing how thin and small he was. Smaller than he should be for his age. He also noticed that the side of his head was still bleeding profusely. His white shirt now had blood all over it and he had some that was drying on the side of his face.

"Aren't you like eleven or something?" he asked the boy

"Yeah. So?"

"Well you've got attitude. That's good" Patrick said with a smile, "You seem short"

Ethan shrugged his shoulders, "That doesn't mean anything"

Patrick smiled, "That is true"

"I want to see my mom's" he said again

"You will do what I say first" Patrick told him harshly

"Where are my brothers?" Ethan questioned as he looked up at the tall older man standing a few feet away from him

Patrick smiled as he stepped to the side, revealing Declan on the ground, his eyes shut, "There's your brother. And you know what happened to the other one. Even though he wasn't really your brother"

Ethan glared up at the older man when he mentioned Henry, but then his attention went back to his older brother. He began to move toward him but was stopped when Chloe grabbed the collar of his shirt to stop him.

"It's okay. Let him go have a look. There's nothing he can do about it" Patrick told the woman

Chloe slowly released her hold on the brunette boy and he made his way over to his teenage brother. He knelt down beside him and placed his hand gently on Declan's shoulder.

"Dec?" Ethan said, slowly shaking his shoulder

The blonde teenager didn't move, but did let out a moan. Ethan turned around and stared daggers at Patrick and Chloe.

"What did you do to him?" he asked

Patrick smiled at the boy, who was obviously angry. 'This boy definitely has spunk' he thought to himself.

"He'll be fine in a little while. Now, how well can you shoot?" he asked

"What?" Ethan questioned, confused

Patrick rolled his eyes at the question, "Do you kids not understand a simple question? How well do you shoot a gun?"

"Why?" Ethan asked with a raised eyebrow

"Are you always this difficult?" Patrick asked, clearly annoyed

This time Ethan smiled, "Yep. Apparently people tell me I take after my mom in that way"

That statement angered Patrick and he quickly made his way over to the boy, grabbing him by the shirt collar and yanking him up quickly. He gripped the back of Ethan's neck tightly with his hand, realizing that if he wanted to, he could easily snap the boy's neck with one hand. He forced the eleven year old over to where Adam was laying on the ground, a bullet through his head, as well as his leg. He shoved Ethan's face down, so that he could look at the dead man on the ground and Ethan attempted to jerk himself backwards, as he closed his eyes, trying not to look at the blood and brain matter on the floor.

"Open your eyes" Patrick spit out angrily

Ethan shook his head as he continued to struggle in the man's grasp and keep his eyes closed at the same time. Patrick then took his gun out of his waistband and shoved the end of it into the right side of Ethan's head, where the large gash that was still bleeding was. Ethan flinched and let out a cry of pain as he felt the metal dig into his already open wound. Ethan slowly opened his eyes and stared down at the dead body beneath him.

"If you don't do _exactly _what I say, this is what is going to happen to your mom" he told the boy harshly, when he saw that his eyes were open and looking down at Adam, "And I'm guessing it doesn't even matter which _mother_ it is that I threaten. I have a feeling you will do what I say. Am I correct?"

Ethan nodded slowly before he felt his stomach turning. Before he could even say anything he began to throw up all over the place.

"What the hell?" Patrick said jumping backwards, away from Ethan

Ethan hurled a few more times as he turned away from the dead body and bent over, his hands on his knees.

"You have got to be kidding me" Patrick stated, "Your stomach is going to have to be stronger than that to be part of this business"

He walked over to Ethan and grabbed him by the arm, pulling him away from the body. Ethan slowly wiped his mouth on the sleeve of his shirt as he listened to the older man mumbling.

"I won't be part of your business. I know you kill people for a living, just like your brother" Ethan said as he turned to look up at Patrick

"You will" Patrick told him, "Or like I said before. Your mother will end up like that"

"Aren't you going to kill her anyways. Why should I do what you say?" the boy questioned

Patrick glared down at the boy. He was too smart for his own good, "Well right now you're prolonging her life by doing what I say"

"I would rather die than work for you" the brunette boy stated

"We can most definitely arrange that" Patrick stated as he looked down at the boy who was really starting to tick him off, "But first I want to see how good you can shoot a gun. You did after all shoot my son"

"But I didn't kill him" Ethan reminded him

"I know. Your mom's friend did" Patrick said angrily

"I haven't shot a gun since then" Ethan lied

Patrick smiled as he looked down at the eleven year old, "Now Ethan. Didn't your mom teach you not to lie"

Ethan continued to look at the older man but he swallowed hard when the man began to smile.

"I've been following your family for awhile now. And I saw you and JJ go to the skeet range last month. Does she take you there often?" he questioned as he looked down at the boy, knowing he had caught him in a lie

Ethan didn't answer and Patrick walked up to him and grabbed him by the chin, squeezing his hand enough to leave bruises on Ethan's cheeks and chin as the boy winced in pain.

"Answer my question. How often do you go there?"

"Twice a month…if we can" he answered, with Patrick still gripping his chin tightly

"With JJ?" he asked

Ethan nodded.

"Why not Emily?" he asked, curious as to why the blonde woman was the one taking him

"Because JJ's the better shooter…and Emily usually spends that time doing something that Declan enjoys" he answered, not sure why he was giving more information than he needed

"Interesting" Patrick said with a smile, before releasing his tight hold on Ethan's chin

Ethan began to open and close his mouth trying to make the pain go away, but it wasn't helping. He then rubbed his right hand gently over his chin and cheeks, before reaching up and wiping more blood away from the side of his head. Patrick then turned around and looked back down at Ethan.

"Well then you should be a pretty good shot, huh" he stated

Ethan shrugged his shoulders.

Patrick led him over to stand next to where Declan was still laying.

"See that box over there, with the word fragile on it?" Patrick said pointing to the box about fifteen feet away from them

Ethan nodded.

"I want you to shoot the G in the word" he told the boy as he held his gun out to him

Ethan swallowed hard as he looked from the gun to Patrick.

"Oh and if you try anything funny with the gun, Chloe here will put a bullet in your brother's head" he said pointing to Declan

Ethan watched as the woman aimed her gun at Declan, who was still laying on the floor. He then reached over and took the 9mm from Patrick. The older man watched as Ethan looked at the gun, checking to make sure the safety was off. Then Ethan gripped the gun, getting comfortable with it, before bringing it up and aiming it towards the box. He squeezed one eye shut as he zeroed in on the target. He took a deep breath before squeezing the trigger with his right index finger.

Patrick watched as the bullet pierced the box. He then grabbed Ethan by the back of the neck and shoved him forward, walking him towards the box. As they got to the box, Patrick inspected the box and saw that the bullet was just shy of hitting the G. He smiled, knowing that was a pretty damn good shot for an eleven year old.

"Nice shot kid" he said, "A little more practice and you'll be as good as a sniper"

"Now can I see my mom's?" Ethan questioned as he looked up at the older man

"No" Patrick answered roughly

"Why not?"

"Because I said so" he said harshly as he took the gun from Ethan's grasp before shoving him forward to stand next to where Declan was laying

"Did you see that Chloe? Kid's got talent when it comes to shooting" Patrick stated with a smug smile

"Whatever. He would probably crack under pressure" she replied, still pointing her gun at the blonde teenager on the ground

"You're just upset that your son couldn't shoot as well" Patrick told her

Chloe stared daggers at Patrick Doyle before replying, "Well like I said, he is worthless, if Ian wouldn't have stopped me from trying to kill myself when I was pregnant with him, we wouldn't be having this conversation right now and I wouldn't have to be disappointed in him"

Patrick nodded, "And my brother would most likely still be alive"

Ethan was listening to the two adults before finally speaking up.

"Who are you talking about?" he questioned with a confused look on his face, "Are you talking about Declan?"

Chloe and Patrick stopped talking and turned their attention back to the small brunette boy who was staring at them with an inquisitive look on his face.

"That's right love. Declan, here, is my son" Chloe said with a smile as she stepped closer to Ethan

"But…I thought…" Ethan began as he thought back to when JJ and Emily had told Declan about his mother and what had happened to her. He remembered Declan talking about it a little bit, and now he realized that his mothers had been mistaken.

"Whatever your mum told you boys was a lie, or rather, she thought that she had found the truth" Chloe told the boy

Ethan was silent for a moment as he mulled over what he had just heard the adults talking about.

"You tried to kill yourself?" Ethan questioned as he stared at Chloe, "While you...were pregnant…with Declan?"

The boy looked from Chloe over to his brother, who was still laying on the floor, his breathing heavy.

"Of course I did. I never wanted to bring a child into this world, especially not with Ian" she stated harshly

Ethan just turned back to look at her, disappointment and unbelief written across his face, "Why?"

"I think the better question is how your mother was able to still give birth to you, after everything she had learned…everything she knew about your father" Chloe said, knowing she would strike a chord with the boy

Ethan glared at the woman but before he could say anything Patrick spoke up, "Excuse me, but you are talking about my brother. Do you mind?" he said turning to look at Chloe

She didn't say anything but just continued to look at Ethan before Patrick spoke up again, "If you don't watch yourself, I'm going to remember how angry Ian was with you Chloe, for attempting that stunt when you were pregnant with Declan. And if I have to think back to that time, I will have to remember how much he hated you for it and then I will have to kill you"

"Not if I kill you first you son of a bitch" she spat at him

"Shut up" he shouted at her

"You shut up" she shouted back, "I'm allowed my own opinion. He chained me to a bed for seven months"

"Because you didn't want to have his baby"

"Can you really blame me?" she replied

Ethan swallowed the lump in his throat as he listened to the argument between the two adults. He looked down when he felt something touch his foot and he saw Declan looking up at him with worried eyes. Ethan immediately squatted down next to his brother and the movement caught Patrick and Chloe's eyes. Both adults spun back towards the two boys and aimed their guns at them, until they saw that Declan was just waking up.

"Well look who decided to join us again" Patrick said as he looked at the blonde teenager who was still trying to focus his attention on the adults

Declan slowly sat up next to Ethan and the brunette boy couldn't help but throw his arms around his older brother, squeezing tightly. Declan let out a slight moan of pain so Ethan pulled away, looking into his brother's eyes.

"You okay Dec?" Ethan asked, not caring that Patrick and Chloe were still standing there watching them

The blonde teenager nodded, "Yeah. You?"

Ethan nodded, "Stellar"

Declan smiled slightly and rolled his eyes at the eleven year old's sarcasm.

"You two ready to play a little game?" Patrick questioned as he looked from one boy to the other

"What?" Ethan asked

"I don't like the sound of that" Declan stated at the same time

Patrick smiled before his phone rang. He nodded at Chloe who kept her gun trained on the two boys while he turned to answer the phone.

"WHAT!" he yelled into the phone, "What the hell were you thinking? That's the stupidest thing you could have done! Imbecile"

After hanging up Patrick threw the phone across the room, watching as it shattered against the wall. Then he turned back around to face Chloe and the boys and all three could see how angry he was.

"What happened?" Chloe asked as she watched Patrick slowly approach them, breathing heavily

"It seems some of the idiots I hired to take out Agent Morgan decided to try to finish the job at the hospital. Of course they failed and one was arrested while the other was killed at the hospital."

"Then who were you talking to?" Chloe asked

"One of the men you brought with you" he said as he stared at her angrily, "He also informed me that the other two men were heading to the hospital Agent Reid is at to try to finish him off too"

"I didn't tell them to do that" she said in defense, "I did tell them they better come up with a way to fix what the messed up"

Patrick rolled his eyes, "And you didn't think they would take that to mean go to the hospital and finish them off?"

"Well I figured they would either get the job done or die trying"

"Well unfortunately they have one of your men in custody"

"But he doesn't know where we are. And he won't give up any information" she stated confidently

"How can you be so sure?" Patrick questioned

"Because he knows I can order his execution inside a prison" she answered with a wry smile

Patrick was quiet for a moment before turning to look at the two boys who were now standing side by side.

"I need some time to think" he stated, "Get rid of them for awhile, then we'll play the little game"

Chloe nodded before pulling out the taser and stepping closer to the boys. Patrick then called for Timothy who showed up a few moments later. Chloe reached out and grabbed Ethan by the arm, yanking him towards her. Declan, however, stepped forward and grabbed Ethan's other arm before giving Chloe a shove with his right arm. Her face immediately tensed up and she let go of Ethan to reach around with the taser and jab it into Declan's neck again. The teenager felt his muscles spasm again before he went limp and hit the floor with a thud.

Ethan screamed as he tried to get to his brother but Chloe grabbed ahold of him. As he tried to fight her off of him she was able to get the taser to connect with his jaw and neck. She smiled as the eleven year old began convulsing in her arms before she let him go and he landed on top of Declan. She then pulled her foot back and swung it forward, connecting her boot with the boy's stomach. She heard him moan slightly and the kick made his body roll off of Declan onto the floor.

Declan's eyes were open and he was trying everything he could to get his body to cooperate with him but it just wasn't working. He wanted nothing more than to fight back against Chloe and Patrick both. Chloe saw Declan looking up at her and she knew he was angry. She smiled smugly before kicking him in the side of the head and then bending down, sticking the taser against his ribs. She watched as his body convulsed again and his eyes slowly closed shut.

Then she stood up and told Timothy to take the boys back to their separate cells until Patrick was ready for them again.

* * *

><p>Meanwhile, Emily and JJ were still laying on the ground in their cell. Both of them heard the gunshots that rang out, but both of them too scared to mention what it could possibly be about. JJ simply reached down and laced her fingers through Emily's right hand as they held tightly to each other, praying that all of this would end soon.<p>

* * *

><p>A couple of hours later Ethan woke up on the floor of his cell, his head pounding and his muscles sore. He blinked a couple of times before using his hands to push himself up to a sitting position. As soon as he did he could feel himself becoming dizzy. He squeezed his eyes shut in an attempt to block out the pain and dizziness. When he opened his eyes again he was met with the same pain. He reached up with his right hand to touch the wound on the right side of his head. When he brought his hand back down to look at it he saw that it was covered in blood.<p>

"I'm pretty sure I shouldn't be bleeding this much" he said out loud

Ethan then slowly laid back down on the hard ground, letting the left side of his face lay flat against the surface. He blinked his eyes a couple of times, trying to fight back the tiredness that he was feeling. And with no one else around, finally let a few stray tears slide down his cheeks.

"Mommy I wish you could hear me right now" he whispered out loud, "I love you…I'm so…sorry"

With that the eleven year finally succumbed to darkness, passing out from pain and the loss of blood from the gash on his head.

* * *

><p>Declan slowly opened his eyes, finding himself laying on his back in his cell. He looked around slowly, hoping Ethan was in the same room as him, but after scanning the room he realized that he was once again alone.<p>

He slowly sat up, biting back a moan of pain from how sore his muscles were. He knew it was from the taser. And although he had heard Chloe talk about how she never wanted to have him, a part of him still didn't understand how a person could hate their own child as much as she obviously hated him. He shook his head when he remembered that she was the one who had tasered him both times, and kicked him.

"What kind of mother does that?" he questioned out loud

He shook his head at his own antics, 'Obviously she's not a mother…idiot' he scolded himself internally

"How do I stand a chance with Chloe and Ian Doyle as my parents?" he questioned again

He smiled slightly, "And now you are talking to yourself…just like Emily…mom"

Declan's smile faded as he began to think about the two women who had raised him the last four years. It was his fault they were in this predicament. If he had never been born, none of this would have happened. He let a few stray tears fall as he realized how much he loved his family and how he didn't know what he would do if anything happened to them…any of them.

He knew how much Emily loved him and the feeling was mutual, ever since he had met her when he was nearly four years old. But he began to think about how much he had grown to love JJ. He knew she loved him just as much and he remembered how scared he had been a few months back after she had been shot and was in the hospital. He remembered his conversations with Emily, about JJ, and about how much the blonde woman loved him.

He began to smile as he thought back to the first time he had called her mom.

_It had been a year since Declan had been formally adopted by Emily. A year and a couple of months since all of the Doyle drama. They had celebrated Ethan's eighth birthday a couple months ago and Declan had turned thirteen just a month ago. Now they were fast approaching JJ's birthday towards the end of July, just a couple of weeks away._

_The now blonde teenager was currently in his bedroom, which he still shared with is little brothers, trying to come up with the perfect birthday present for his blonde mother. A few seconds later there was a knock on the door before it opened, revealing Emily._

"_Hey kid" she said with a smile_

_He returned the smile, "Hey"_

"_Whatcya doing?" she asked as she leaned against the doorframe_

_He shrugged his shoulders, "Nothing"_

"_Hmmm, that doesn't look like the face of nothing. It looks more like the face of concentration" she told him in an amused voice_

_Declan rolled his eyes playfully before peering around her from his desk chair, "Is JJ here?"_

_Emily shook her head, "No she took the boys to run some errands. Is everything alright?"_

_He nodded, "Yeah I've just been thinking"_

"_Yeah, I got that" she told him with a smile as she stepped inside the room and took a seat on his bed so that she could meet his eyes while he sat in the desk chair_

"_I don't know what to get her for her birthday. I want to get her something really awesome, but I can't think of what"_

_Emily smiled at the teenager who was so caring and had such a big heart, "Declan don't worry so much. She will love whatever you get her. But you don't have to get her anything. You're not obligated"_

"_Mom I want to get her something. I feel like I owe her"_

"_Dec you don't owe her anything" Emily told him_

_He sighed as he looked down at the ground. Emily got up and moved to kneel in front of the teenager before reaching out and taking his hands in hers._

"_Listen to me Declan. JJ loves you, very much, as do I. You don't owe her anything. She doesn't love you because she has to. She loves you because you are you. And you are an amazing, talented, smart, funny, handsome young man that anybody would be proud to call their son. It just so happens that JJ and I are the ones with all of the luck, because you're our son and we couldn't ask for anything more. Do you understand me"_

_Declan looked up into the dark eyes of his mother, who was smiling endearingly at him. He couldn't help but smile back at her and he knew she was right. He still marveled at the way she seemed to know exactly what to say to make him feel better._

"_I know" he told her, "And I guess I'm pretty lucky too"_

_Emily raised an eyebrow, "You guess?"_

_Declan let out a laugh before Emily leaned forward and ruffled his hair, "You are one of the luckiest kids in the world D"_

_He continued to laugh as she stood up, "But if it means that much too you, I could take you shopping this weekend. Maybe we could find something for her"_

_He nodded, "Thanks mom"_

"_Anytime kid" she replied as she turned to walk out of the room but stopped as she got to the door, "You want to come have a snack with me"_

_Declan shrugged, "Okay" before getting up and following her out of the bedroom and down the stairs to the kitchen._

_That weekend Declan and Emily were driving to the mall when the teenager spoke up._

"_I think I know what I want to get JJ for her birthday" he said_

"_That's great" Emily answered as she looked to the passenger seat where she could see Declan fidgeting_

"_Dec" she said_

"_Well, it's kinda going to be up to you to help me with it, if you're okay with it" he rambled_

"_Okay" replied Emily, "I'm guessing this isn't going to be at the mall"_

_Declan shook his head and Emily just nodded._

"_Okay how about we go get some lunch and you can tell me all about your idea" she suggested, receiving a nod from the teenager_

_Emily was shocked at Declan's request, but she thought that it was an amazing idea and she was sure it would bring some tears to the blonde woman's eyes._

_The following weekend they had decided to have a small party in Hotch's backyard in honor of JJ's birthday. She didn't want a big fuss to be made, but the team agreed that it had been awhile since they had all hung out together._

"_Yeah Morgan it's been forever…when was Declan's party again? Oh yeah it was last month" she laughed at her best friend_

"_Oh hush woman. It's not like you don't enjoy everyone getting together either. It's like free babysitters all over the place" he told her with a smile_

_Emily couldn't help but laugh at his statement that was so true. As they stood next to each other, each holding a beer, she looked out across the yard and saw Reid playing leap frog with all of the boys and she couldn't help but smile._

_Soon they all gathered around the outdoor table, as some of the adults grabbed a spot at the table, while some of the others were left to sit on blankets on the grass and eat their dinner._

_After dinner the adults were sitting around talking while the kids were still running around, chasing each other through the yard. Emily saw Declan coming towards her with a questioning look and she nodded her head. She watched the blonde teenager go inside the house before reappearing and walking up next to JJ. The blonde woman turned her attention towards Declan with a smile._

"_Hey D, you okay?" she asked as she reached up and rubbed his back gently_

_He swallowed the lump in his throat as he nodded, "Yeah, I just have something for you"_

"_Declan, you didn't have to get me anything" she told sweetly, "Besides didn't you guys give me something this morning?"_

"_I know but this is something different, from just me" he told her, "Although Emily had to help me"_

_The blonde woman turned from Declan to Emily, with a raised eyebrow, but the brunette just smiled._

_Declan set a large manila envelope down in front of JJ, before placing a small card with his handwriting on top of it._

_By this time everyone was watching the events that were unfolding, nobody but Declan and Emily knowing what was inside the envelope. The younger boys had made their way over to the table too, all of their sweaty bodies finding somewhere to perch. Jack found his father's lap, while Henry claimed Garcia's, and Ethan flung himself into Morgan' arms._

_Emily could tell that Declan was nervous so she took his hand and guided him onto her lap. He accepted as he sat down gently, still watching JJ as she looked from the card to Declan and Emily._

_He found his courage as he spoke up, trying to lighten the moment, "Well come on, mom, we don't have all day"_

_Everyone at the table hushed all at once as they heard the thirteen year old call JJ mom for the first time. JJ's hands halted as she slowly looked up and saw a bright smile emanating from both Declan and Emily. The blonde woman bit her bottom lip to keep herself from letting any tears escape as she managed a small smile in return._

"_Okay then" she replied as she finished opening the card_

_Her eyes began to tear up as she read the words that the teenager had written her, using the word mom as often as possible without being too repetitive. She didn't dare look up, for fear of the tears falling in front of everyone surrounding her. Instead she set the card aside, before opening the large manila envelope. But what she pulled out was not what she was expecting._

"_What is it?" Reid asked, breaking the silence_

_JJ looked from the papers, up at everyone around the table, before her eyes landed on Declan._

"_They're adoption papers" she said softly_

_Declan couldn't tell if the tears that were beginning to fall from JJ's eyes were happy or sad so he immediately started talking._

"_If you don't want to then-"_

_JJ cut him off before he could finish what he was saying, "Declan"_

_He swallowed another lump in his throat and he could feel Emily rubbing his back soothingly, "yeah"_

"_This is quite possibly the best birthday I've ever had" she stated with a smile_

"_Really?" he questioned_

"_Definitely" she answered_

_The blonde woman then stood up and reached out her hands to Declan, who gladly accepted, before pulling the teenager up off of Emily's lap and into her arms. JJ hugged him tightly, feeling his arms wrap around her waist in return as he buried his face in her shoulder._

"_I love you so much D, and this means so much to me" she told him as she let the tears begin to fall as she kissed the top of his head_

"_I love you too...mom. And I couldn't ask for better parents than you guys" he told her_

_Everyone else around the table began to clear their throats for fear of letting their own tears slip out. They began to look around at one another before Ethan spoke up._

"_Gee you'd think a life altering, remarkable, moment just happened or something"_

_Everyone rolled their eyes or chuckled at the eight year old's sarcasm._

"_Definitely a Prentiss" Rossi stated as he looked over at the brunette boy_

"_What's that supposed to mean?" Emily countered with a raised eyebrow and smirk_

"_Oh nothing at all" he replied holding his hands up in defense_

"_Maybe just that the Prentiss' are kind of known for sarcasm or humor in the middle of a heartfelt moment" Morgan stated with a smile and a wink at Emily, "Because that's how you guys roll in uncomfortable situations"_

"_Touche" Emily replied with a smile_

Declan continued to smile to himself, realizing how lucky he was to have the people in his life that he did. His smile slowly faded as he heard yelling coming from outside of his door. He closed his eyes and prayed that they were all going to get out of this alive.

* * *

><p>AN: Okay I'm not sure how much I like this chapter, or whether I should have thrown in the flashback. I've been rereading this chapter for the last few days because something just didn't feel right about it, but I've given up. It is what it is.


	14. Chapter 13

A/N: I apologize, so many times over, for this chapter taking so long! I mulled over this specific chapter for so long, because I knew I wanted specific things out of it…and certain things to happen and I had a hard time trying to decide how to encompass everything that I wanted. I hope you guys enjoy and please don't forget to leave me a review to let me know what you think!

**This chapter does contain violence, cursing, and sexual situations.**

* * *

><p>Ch. 13<p>

At the BAU Hotch and Rossi were both mulling over possibilities of who might be behind these attacks and kidnappings. As they were looking at old files on Doyle, Hotch's cell phone rang.

"Hotchner" he answered

"What? When? Is he okay? No we are heading that way right now" Hotch spoke into the phone, as he got up, motioning for Rossi to follow him

As they headed through the glass doors Hotch finally hung up the phone as he pressed the elevator button.

"Aaron?" Rossi questioned in a concerned tone

Hotch turned to look at the older man just as the elevator doors opened and they stepped inside.

"Two men decided to have a shootout at the hospital in an attempt to get to Morgan" he informed Rossi and continued to feed him information before he could ask any questions, "Morgan is fine, the men didn't even make it into the room"

"The shooters?" asked Rossi

"One dead, the other wounded by a bullet to the arm. They arrested him and are waiting for the doctor to fix him up" Hotch answered

Rossi nodded as they exited the elevator and headed to the garage to their BAU vehicle. They climbed in and drove to the hospital in silence, both men wanting to see for themselves that Derek Morgan was indeed, okay.

Once they made it to the hospital both men headed straight for Morgan's room. When they saw that he was sleeping soundly they turned to find the man responsible for the attempted attack. They finally found him, handcuffed to a hospital bed, a uniformed officer standing beside him as the doctor stitched his arm up.

As the two agents approached the shooter, he became visibly uncomfortable, shifting his weight on the bed and not looking either of the men in the eyes.

"I'm Agent Hotchner and this is Agent Rossi" Hotch told him as he showed his badge to the injured man, though the man did not look up

"You don't have to look at us if you don't want to but that's not going to make us disappear. We have questions for you and you will give us answers" the team leader stated

The man finally looked up, just as the doctor finished wrapping his injured arm, he smiled an almost evil smile that made both Hotch and Rossi both uncomfortable.

"Ask away. I don't have to give you any answers. I'm going to jail no matter what" the man replied in an Irish accent

Hotch nodded to the doctor and the uniformed officer, both of the men understanding that the agents wanted to be alone with the suspect. They left quickly, leaving the two agents alone with the man who was so far being uncooperative.

"Like I said before. You will give us answers. Don't think that you and the people you are working with can come here and attack members of my team without any kind of punishment" said Hotch

"I am not escaping punishment. I have been arrested and will most likely go to jail" the man said nonchalantly

By this time Rossi was bubbling over with anger. He stepped closer to the suspect as he spoke, "You listen to me you piece of shit scumbag. You came here, to our country, our home, and attacked people we care about. You seriously injured two members of our team. You also managed to kidnap two of the women on our team, along with their family. And that, you sick son of a bitch, was your first mistake. Those women that you kidnapped along with those kids. They are not only our friends, but our family and we will do whatever it takes to get them back. So when we ask you questions, you will answer"

The man just smiled again before responding, "First of all I only attacked Agent Morgan, not the other one. Secondly, we know how much this team relies on each other. Why do you think we have attacked your team in the order that we did? We wanted to make all of you suffer, but most importantly, we wanted Agent Prentiss to suffer. For her to watch the people that she loves the most, suffer and die, one by one…And although you say you will do whatever it takes to get them back, they will most likely already be dead by the time you find them…If you find them"

Rossi lost his temper at that moment, as he flung himself forward, wrapping his hands around the suspects throat, pushing him backwards onto the bed. The older man put all of his body weight into it as he leaned on top of the suspect, choking him. All he could think about was Emily, JJ, and the boys. From there his mind went to Morgan and Reid. All he could feel was anger and helplessness. He was vaguely aware of someone's arms around him, trying to pull him back. He finally snapped out of it as he made out Hotch's voice.

"Dave let go" the leader shouted as he continued to pull at the older man, "Agent Rossi let him go. He's the only lead we have"

Rossi finally released his hold on the suspects throat as he pushed himself off of the bed and took a step away as the man laying on the bed began coughing, trying to catch his breath. Rossi began pacing the room as he rubbed his hands over his face.

Hotch turned back to the suspect as he sat up on the bed, his free hand rubbing his throat. Hotch stared directly into the suspect's eyes.

"If you think that was bad, just wait. If you do not cooperate with us I will not hesitate to release his full fury on you, along with mine. Do you understand?" Hotch told him harshly

"You can't do anything to me. You will lose your jobs" he said smugly

Hotch didn't smile as he continued to stare at the suspect, "You have kidnapped two federal agents, along with their children and you have attempted to kill two other federal agents. Do you really think anyone is going to say anything if you wind up dead?"

The suspect stared at the team leader, trying to wager whether he was telling the truth or not. He had heard stories about law enforcement in America covering up crimes that their own had committed, but he didn't know if they were true or not. Rather than saying anything he just stared at the agent before Hotch walked up and uncuffed him from the bed, before cuffing his hands behind his back. Then he turned, being led out of the room by the two federal agents.

As they loaded the man into the back of the suburban, Hotch's phone rang.

"Hotchner" he answered

"What?" he questioned in a slightly shocked tone of voice

"Are you sure? Okay. No I want him transferred here as soon as possible. I don't care about protocol… Okay… call me as soon as you do"

As soon as he hung up the phone Rossi was staring at him with a questioning look.

Hotch sighed before filling in the older man, "Two men tried to attack Reid at the hospital as well, not twenty minutes ago"

"Are you kidding me?" Rossi asked

Hotch shook his head, "I wish I were. Reid is fine and the two men are dead. But it makes me wonder"

"What?"

Hotch looked up at the older man as they just stared at each other. Both of them were thinking the same thing, but too afraid to voice their concerns out loud. Rossi finally sighed and nodded before breaking the silence.

"They're getting sloppy, which can only mean one thing"

"They've almost completed their crazy mission"

"Or they have given up and are deciding to end things earlier than expected"

"Which, if that's the case, means someone else screwed up and they are feeling pressure" Hotch said

"But when you are feeling pressured, you tend to make mistakes" Rossi added

Hotch nodded, "Unless, at this point, the mistakes don't matter"

Rossi looked at Hotch before adding, "Because you've already killed everyone who could cause any problems"

"We need to get this guy into an interrogation room, now" Hotch stated as he moved to open the driver's side door

Rossi just stood there staring at the back seat before looking back at Hotch. The leader knew he had something on his mind.

"What is it?" he asked the older man

"I know we could get fired, but I don't think we should take him there right away"

"Why not?"

"I think we should try to get it out of him…ourselves" Rossi said, knowing the leader would catch on to what he meant

"Dave"

"Aaron, I know it's unprofessional, and I know we could get fired. At this point in my life that doesn't matter to me. But what does matter to me are those two women and their kids….Hotch if you don't want a part of this I understand. And I would never ask you to be a part of it. You can turn me in yourself if you want to. I'm okay with that. What I'm not okay with is knowing that I didn't do everything in my power to try to find Emily and JJ…No matter what the cost."

Hotch was quiet as Rossi continued to speak.

"You've known me for a long time Aaron. You know I am not a very sentimental guy, hell, a lot of the people on this team are closed off to certain things, but over the years we have become family and a lot of us have opened up to each other in ways we probably never would have with other people. A lot has happened between Emily and me over the years. Those things have turned into more than I ever thought possible. She's the daughter that I never got to have…Hell, she's the child that I never got to have. And as a surrogate father I am beyond pissed… beyond worried at this point. And the only thing I can think of, is doing everything and anything possible to bring her and her family home safely… Do I know how slim those possibilities are at this point. Yes. But am I willing to have faith that there is still a possibility that they are all still alive and fighting. Yes. Because if there is anything I know, it's that the members of this team do not give up easily. And none of them…none of us… would give up without a fight"

Hotch was silent as he looked from Rossi back to the suburban with the suspect inside.

"Dave I can't say that I would honestly turn you in at this point. Not over this. I understand what you are saying, but I can't leave you alone with him. We don't have to take him back right away. We can try it your way first. We are in this together…because you're right…we are family…and you do whatever you have to, to protect your family…but just know that no matter how all of this ends, there will be consequences…at the BAU…for everyone involved in this situation"

Rossi nodded before turning and climbing in beside the suspect, while Hotch got behind the wheel and started the SUV, before driving off, in the opposite direction of headquarters.

Hotch drove until they were out of the city, turning down a rundown road. He pulled over once he was far enough from the highway and turned the ignition off. He then took a deep breath before getting out and opening the door for Rossi.

"What the hell are you two doing?" the suspect shouted from the back seat

"Shut up" Rossi answered harshly as he grabbed the man and pulled him roughly from the backseat of the SUV

The man lost his footing and fell to the ground.

"Get up" ordered Rossi as he grabbed the suspect and yanked him back to his feet before shoving him harshly into the side of the SUV

"You can't do this" the man shouted before he began to yell for help

"Nobody can hear you out here" Hotch said, finally speaking up, as he took a step towards the suspect

"You won't get away with this" stated the suspect

"And you won't get away with what you have done to our team" countered Hotch, "If you're lucky you will end up in jail. If you aren't so lucky you will end up dead"

"You are going to tell us where they are" Rossi told him

"And who is behind this" added Hotch

The suspect shook his head, giving them an evil smile, "Why should I tell you anything?"

"Because if you don't you aren't going to be able to move your fingers. And when we do find our missing agents we are still going to tell the person in charge that you gave us all of the information we needed" Hotch replied

The man's face turned white at Hotch's words and the two agents could tell he was trying to decide what he should do.

"And what do you think he is going to do to you then?" added Rossi

The man looked up into both agents faces and he could clearly see how angry they were, but he still thought they were probably bluffing.

"I don't believe you. You are bound to get into trouble if you lay any hand on me" the suspect said

Rossi didn't hesitate as he reached forward and grabbed the man by his shirt, yanking him forward before flipping him around and shoving him face forward into the side of the vehicle. The older man then grabbed the suspect's right index finger and pulled hard until he heard the definite sound of a bone cracking.

The man let out a scream before yelling, "You are a crazy son of a bitch"

Rossi flipped the suspect back around so that he was facing the two agents.

"And that's just the beginning if you refuse to cooperate with us" Hotch said

They were all silent for a moment before Hotch spoke up again, "What is your name?"

The man was silent, so Hotch swung his fist back before slamming an open hand onto the side of the vehicle, inches from the suspect's head, causing the man to flinch.

"Answer the question" Hotch shouted

"Okay, okay…Samuel…Sam"

"You have a last name Sam?" Rossi asked

"Reagan"

"Okay Sam Reagan, who is in charge?" Hotch questioned

This time Sam was silent, his eyes focused on the ground.

"I can break another finger" Rossi told him

"Is it someone related to Ian Doyle?" Hotch asked

Sam continued to look at the ground but both agents noticed him tense at the mention of Doyle's name.

"We know it has to be someone connected with Doyle because you went after Agent Prentiss and her family first. The way things have gone down it only makes sense it was someone associated with her past, wanting revenge" Hotch said

"We are right, aren't we?" Rossi asked

Sam was still silent, not willing to look either agent in the eyes.

Rossi stepped forward and grabbed the man by his shoulders shaking him roughly, "Answer us dammit"

"Okay…Let's say you're right. How does that help you?" Sam questioned

"Because we can profile him better if we know who he is" answered Hotch

"But you still don't know who he is" Sam pointed out

"But we are going to find out, because you are going to tell us" Rossi said

Sam shook his head, "No way. I'll surely die"

"You are going to die if you don't answer our question" Rossi told him

Sam smiled smugly at this point, "We watched all of you for a long time before we made our move. We know how much those women mean to you. All of you" he said looking from Rossi to Hotch

Rossi narrowed his eyes, but Hotch's face remained neutral as the man continued to talk.

"We know that your team thinks of one another as family, we watched you guys…in your off hours. We know how protective the men on your team are of the three women on your team…We also know who all of the kids best friends are"

"Ethan and Jack" Sam said as he looked directly at Hotch, waiting for a reaction. But when he didn't get one, he moved on.

"Declan and Mike, Henry and some kid named Cole"

"What's your point?" Hotch asked

"My point is that we know about you and how you feel about one another…We also have heard plenty of stories about your Agent Prentiss…from when she was Lauren"

Both agents continued to stare at the suspect, waiting for him to accidently give away some bit of information that would help them find Emily and JJ.

Sam smiled as he continued to talk, "She's a beautiful woman, they both are. They complement each other well in looks, being opposites. One with dark hair and dark eyes, the other with blonde hair and blue eyes, both with amazing bodies"

Rossi clenched his fists as Sam talked about their two female agents, while Hotch stood, unmoving and seemingly unaffected by what the suspect was saying.

"We heard the stories of how beautiful Emily…or Lauren, rather…was all those years ago. How she played Ian by being seductive and sexy in order to learn his deepest secrets, one of those secrets being Declan... Anyways, we know how protective Ian became of her, he fell in love with her only to have her betray him. We heard how she seduced him and had sex with him. Did you two know that? Did you know that your precious Agent Prentiss had a dark side and that she slept with a terrorist numerous times?...Oh wait, you would have to know that because she had a son with him"

Sam smiled, "But I bet you all told yourselves that she only slept with him once and she got pregnant. But that's not true. We were told what she was like in bed…about how she became almost animalistic, how she liked it rough-"

Before he could go any further Hotch had lost the last bit of control. He slammed Sam hard into the SUV before punching him in the stomach. As the suspect hunched over trying to catch his breath Hotch brought his knee up into Sam's stomach, before letting him fall to the ground, curled up in pain.

"Stop bullshitting us" Hotch told him angrily

"I'm not…it's true" Sam squeaked out between catching his breath

"Who the hell is in charge?" Hotch shouted

"Why does…it…matter? They…are probably…all…dead…anyways"

Hotch leaned down and grabbed Sam by his shirt, "Tell me who the hell is in charge"

"You already…know"

"What?" Hotch questioned as he looked from Sam up to Rossi, who shrugged his shoulders

"You asked if the person in charge was related to Ian Doyle"

"Is the person in charge actually related to Doyle? Because we know he was an orphan" Hotch pointed out

Sam smiled, "I can tell you that the person in charge REALLY likes blondes"

Hotch kicked the man in the ribs, "Tell us his name"

The man didn't respond so Hotch took a different approach, "Tell us where they are"

"I don't know" the man answered as he slowly sat up on the ground

"You're lying" Rossi stated

Sam shook his head, "I don't know where they are"

Hotch grabbed Sam and flipped him onto his stomach before grabbing the suspects right middle finger and pulling it back slightly, "Tell us where they are or I will break your other finger"

Sam didn't react at first, until Hotch started to pull more on his finger, "You aren't really going to break my finger"

Hotch then bent Sam's finger all the way back waiting for the crack to sound. Sam cried out a little louder this time. Hotch then grabbed another finger and began to pull it back.

"Tell us where they are" he said again

"Okay, okay. I swear I don't know exactly where they are. All I know is that they are in an abandoned warehouse, somewhere between here and Virginia Beach. He wouldn't give us an exact location. We were just here to take out other members of your team. He has his own men helping him at the warehouse"

Hotch dropped Sam's hand as he looked up at Rossi who nodded. Hotch then stood up and pulled out his cell phone, while Rossi grabbed the suspect and forced him into the back of the suburban.

"Queen of all things knowing" Garcia said as she answered the phone

"Garcia, I need you to search for abandoned warehouses between Quantico and Virginia Beach" Hotch ordered

"Sir-"

Hotch cut her off before she could finish, "And while you are looking for that try to find out if Ian Doyle had any brothers. I know he was raised in an orphanage, but maybe he and his brother met later in life. I need you to find me all of that information now"

"Yes sir" she answered, "Sir?"

"Yes"

"I just wanted to let you know that they transferred Reid safely. He's now in a shared room with Morgan and officers are posted outside the door."

"Okay thanks Garcia" he replied before hanging up

The team leader took a deep breath before he heard Rossi behind him, "Everything okay Hotch?"

Hotch turned to look at the older man and nodded, "Reid made it safely to DC and he's in a shared room with Morgan"

Rossi nodded, "Good. Let's get this SOB to the station so we can find this warehouse and get our family back together again"

Hotch nodded as he walked around to the driver's side and climbed in as Rossi climbed into the passenger side.

"Hey I need my hand looked at" Sam complained from the back seat

"Shut up" Rossi told him

Hotch turned the car around and headed back towards the city and the station.

**Meanwhile:**

Emily and JJ were sitting side by side, their backs against the wall. They were both fighting their body's natural instinct to sleep, neither woman sure when the last time was that they had actually slept. Emily, especially, was fighting her body. She could feel the exhaustion throughout her body and she wanted nothing more than to sleep, especially in view of the blood loss from her wounds, but she was still refusing to give in. She knew she wasn't going to give up without a fight and for whatever reason she felt like the time for her and JJ to fight back was fast approaching.

"JJ" Emily said, breaking the silence as she turned to look at her wife

The blonde turned her head to face the dark haired agent. Blue eyes met brown and JJ knew whatever was about to come out of Emily's mouth was going to be solemn.

"JJ, promise me something"

"Anything" she answered as she tilted her head slightly to the side

"Promise me, that no matter what happens to me, that you will get the boys out of here"

"Emily-" she began but was cut off

"JJ promise me that you will get them out of here and not worry about me" Emily told her

JJ dropped her gaze from Emily's to look at the floor. The brunette lifted her right hand and brushed some of the blonde hair out of her wife's face, tucking it behind her ear and brushing her knuckles lightly across JJ's cheek.

"Please Jayje, promise me"

JJ closed her eyes at her wife's touch before opening them and looking into sad dark eyes, "I can promise you that I will get our kids out of here, but I can't promise you that I won't come back for you"

"JJ you can't come after me. You have to stay with the kids. They can't lose both mothers" Emily told her in a cracked voice

"Nothing's going to happen to you Emily. We are all going to get out of this. We are going to be okay" JJ told the brunette angrily, fighting her own tears

Emily's face softened, "I love you so much JJ"

JJ relaxed slightly as she saw the love evident in Emily's eyes, "I love you too Em"

"I know…but you are going to have to ignore that feeling and just focus on the kids" the brunette urged

"Jennifer…please…promise me" Emily said as she reduced herself to begging

JJ let a stray tear slide down her cheek that Emily softly wiped away with her right hand. Then JJ grabbed Emily by the back of the neck and brought her lips to her own in a deep meaningful kiss, both agents pouring all of their love and feelings for each other into what could possibly be their last kiss. When they both pulled away they let their foreheads rest against each other for a moment before JJ spoke.

"I promise I will get the kids out" JJ whispered before placing one last, chaste, kiss on the brunettes lips and then pulling away, turning to lean back up against the wall

Emily sighed, knowing there was nothing more she could say or do to change the blonde's mind. So she turned, leaning back against the wall as well. She let her right hand slide over to JJ's left as she laced their hands together.

A few minutes later they heard a commotion outside of their door. The women looked at each other before turning their attention back to the door as JJ gripped the screwdriver tightly in her right hand, hiding it under her leg.

They heard the lock in the door being turned before it opened revealing Patrick Doyle, along with Timothy. The two women watched in horror as Declan and Ethan were both shoved inside by the men. But both women were also relieved to see that Ethan was indeed alive, although they could tell he was injured and apparently fighting the urge to collapse.

"Ethan" JJ spoke up in a relieved voice

"Don't get too excited. I brought them in here for a reason" Patrick stated as he basically held Ethan up by his shirt collar

"Can't you see that he's hurt" JJ said angrily

This caused Patrick to smile smugly, "Like I said before, that was his own fault"

"Bastard" Emily said, speaking up

"What was that?" Patrick questioned as he looked from Emily over to Timothy

"You heard me" she replied

"That's what I thought" Patrick responded as he nodded at Timothy, who brought his gun up before bringing it down into Declan's back, between his shoulder blades

JJ jumped up and Emily got to her feet as fast as she could as they watched Declan cry out in pain as his knees buckled and he hit the ground.

"Uh uh uh. Don't take another step ladies" Patrick said as he held his gun to Ethan's head

"Please" JJ replied

"Don't" Emily finished

Patrick smiled evilly as he watched the fear surface in both women's eyes, "We are going to play a little game…I believe you know it as Russian Roulette"

"Are you crazy?" JJ questioned angrily

"Some would say that, yes, I am" he answered

Before he could give either woman another chance to say anything he pulled the trigger to the gun that was still aimed at Ethan's head. Both women flinched and gasped as they heard the click, but only JJ released the breath that she was holding.

"You sick son of a bitch" JJ spat out

Patrick continued to grin as he turned the gun and pointed it at Declan, who was still on his knees before he pulled the trigger and the women again flinched at the sound of the click.

"Why don't you and I play the game Patrick?" Emily said, challenging the man in charge

"What?" he asked, clearly caught off guard

"Why don't you and I play the game? It's really me you're pissed at anyways and I volunteer to play the game. You aren't scared to play against a girl, are you?" Emily questioned

"Emily no" JJ said as she turned to look at her wife

Patrick stared at the brunette, trying to figure out if he was being played. He stared for a couple of minutes before finally speaking up.

"You do realize there is no way for you to get out of this. You will die" he stated

"I know that. However, I am still volunteering" she told him

"Emily"

"JJ shut up" the brunette said harshly

"Timothy take that one back to his cell first then come for this one" Patrick told the other man

Timothy yanked Declan to his feet before turning him and forcing him out of the room as Declan began to shout, "Mom…don't…Moooom"

Patrick shook his head at the teenager before looking at the two women in front of him, "You have turned that boy into a pansy. He is absolutely worthless, can't even shoot a gun"

"He doesn't like guns" Emily told him angrily as she fought the pain in her leg as she remained standing

"No thanks to you" he told her

"No actually, it's no thanks to your brother" the brunette stated

"Don't talk about my brother like that" Patrick shouted as he pointed the gun at Ethan and pulled the trigger again, earning another click

"Okay, okay" Emily shouted as she threw her hands up in defense

"He's just a kid" JJ added as she looked at her son's frightened face

"You're right, I should probably just do this" Patrick said as he pulled out the tazer and shocked the eleven year old in the neck

JJ and Emily both shouted as they watched the small body convulse before falling to the floor.

"You bastard" JJ shouted as she attempted to move towards Ethan

"Nuh uh uh" Patrick told her as he stepped over Ethan towards JJ with his gun pointed at her

"Hey, Patrick. I said I volunteer to play the game, so stop pointing the gun at my family" Emily said as she hobbled towards JJ

"But this is more fun" he said as he kept the gun pointing at JJ's head and pulled the trigger, earning another click

Emily's heart was racing and she flinched when she heard the click. She watched as JJ closed her eyes and also flinched at the sound of the click.

Before anyone could say anything Timothy had come back to collect Ethan. The two women watched as the younger man scooped up Ethan like a sack of potatoes, tossing him over his shoulder and walking out.

Then Patrick stepped closer to the two women, this time pointing the gun at Emily. The brunette kept her eyes open as she stared directly into Patrick Doyle's blue eyes as he pulled the trigger and was met with another click. JJ had a feeling that the next time the trigger was pulled that they were not going to be met with an empty chamber and that scared her. Patrick lowered the gun for a moment, looking between the two women, before raising the gun back up at JJ. He held it, pointing it at her head for about a minute before turning it to Emily. This time Emily closed her eyes before opening them again and seeing Patrick smile. JJ looked from Emily to Patrick, before she turned her attention to his finger on the trigger. As he started to pull it JJ dove forward, catching Patrick by the left hand and tackling him to the ground. The gun went off, grazing the top of Emily's right shoulder, just enough that she felt a slight sting.

Emily watched in horror as JJ wrestled on the ground with Patrick and she watched the blonde pull the screwdriver out of the back of her capris and bring it down roughly, connecting with his thigh. Patrick cried out in pain as the screwdriver pierced through his skin. He grabbed a fistful of blonde hair and was able to slam her head into the ground, before punching her in the jaw. But JJ continued to fight as she brought her right foot up and into Patrick's chest, leaving him gasping for air.

Emily joined in at this time as she brought her foot down hard, connecting with his face before bending down to pull JJ away. As she did Patrick rolled away and was able to get up. He started to shout for help but Emily ran at him, running into him like a linebacker. Patrick flew backwards taking Emily with him as they connected with a wall behind him. JJ managed to pick up the gun, but when she checked it for bullets, it was empty. The one bullet that was in the gun had almost taken Emily's life. The blonde looked back down on the ground where her wife and Patrick were fighting, both laying punches on one another. JJ hurried forward just as Emily grabbed the screwdriver that was in Patrick's leg, turning it and yanking it out, causing him to cry out. She attempted to stab him in the chest with it but he blocked it and was able to grab a hold as they both struggled for control of the weapon. Emily took that opportunity to spit in his face, distracting him for a moment long enough to take the screw driver and slam it down into his thigh, again.

He cried out in pain, swinging his left fist hard and connecting with the side of Emily's head, knocking her off of him. JJ had just reached him at this point and was about to attack him as well, when he pulled a gun from his ankle and shot at JJ. Emily watched, horrified, as her wife stumbled backwards and fell onto the floor.

"JJ" Emily shouted as she began crawling towards the blonde

The door to the room swung open just as Emily made it to JJ's side. She was so focused on the blonde woman that she didn't notice anything else. She knelt beside JJ, ignoring the pain in her leg as she took both of her hands and pressed down on JJ's left side, where the bullet had pierced her. Emily could tell the bullet had gone clean through JJ's side, but she continued to apply pressure, causing JJ to let out a groan of pain.

"Stay with me Jayje" the brunette said as she looked into blue eyes full of pain

"Emily" the blonde began

"Shhh, you're going to be alright baby" Emily told her as she continued to press down on the blonde's side

Emily watched as JJ's eyes became wide. Just as the brunette turned her head to look behind her she was greeted with the butt of a gun connecting with her face. JJ groaned as Emily collapsed on top of her before Timothy kicked the brunette and caused her to roll off of JJ.

Timothy raised his gun, aiming at the blonde woman, ready to pull the trigger when Patrick stopped him.

"Not yet Timothy. I want Emily to watch her wife die. Help me out of here so I can clean up. We will come back in a little bit and finish the job"

Timothy lowered his weapon before turning and helping Patrick out of the room.

**At the station:**

Rossi and Hotch turned the suspect over, the older man explaining that Sam had fallen and may have injured his fingers so it might not be a bad idea to have him checked by a medic. The officers looked at Rossi suspiciously but nobody questioned him, even when the suspect claimed that the two agents had assaulted him.

As they made their way up to their floor and stepped off Hotch was met by Jack coming around the corner carrying Penny.

"Dad" the young boy said excitedly as he made his way towards him, but as he got closer the smile disappeared from his face, "You haven't found them yet?"

Hotch looked down into his sons brown eyes, "Not yet, but we are very close"

The team leader reached out and ran his hand over the blonde toddler's hair, giving her a slight smile.

"Mama?" Penny questioned as she looked at Hotch

"I know sweetie, I miss her too" Hotch said out loud

Jack looked up at his dad as he shifted the toddler in his arms. Hotch looked down at his son, hoping for all of their sakes that Emily, JJ, and the kids were still alive because he didn't know if this BAU family would be able to make it without them.

"Shouldn't it be nap time for somebody?" Hotch asked as he looked from Penny to Jack

"I'll go read her a story" the young caramel haired boy said as he turned and headed towards Rossi's office

Rossi and Hotch stood, watching Jack until he made it into the office.

"They have to be okay Aaron" Rossi said as he stepped closer to the leader

Hotch nodded, "I know"

Hotch's cell rang at that time and he picked it up, "Hotchner"

"Sir"

"Garcia we are heading to your office" Hotch told her as he hung up and turned to walk down the hall, Rossi in tow

When they entered her lair she was already spouting out possible places where Emily and JJ could have been stashed.

"Garcia where is the most probable place…The most remote?" Hotch asked as he looked from the technical analyst to the computer screens

"I would say the old Cooper Warehouses near the water. The buildings have been closed for nearly five years and as far as I could see nobody has been there since they closed" she answered

Hotch turned to look at Rossi and the older man nodded, "Let's go"

"Sir I think I may have found the man you were talking about" the blonde stated just as the two men turned to walk out

"Who?" Rossi asked

"I found a man by the name of Patrick Doyle. He's almost seven years older than Ian Doyle. They were raised in two different orphanages and found out about each other when Patrick turned eighteen and Ian was eleven. It looks as though when Ian turned eighteen he met up with his brother for awhile and they both disappeared, before Ian reappeared and began his days as a terrorist."

Both men looked at the picture on the screen and could see certain resemblances to Ian Doyle. Both men could feel the anger boiling inside of them for everything this Doyle family had caused. Before they could say anything they saw a woman's picture pop up on the screen.

"Garcia?" Hotch questioned

"This woman, Chloe, her name popped up when I was searching the European database for anyone related to Doyle"

"She's related also?" Hotch questioned

Garcia shook her head, "No sir. Apparently she became associated with Patrick Doyle when they attacked a building full of Americans in Paris"

"Okay so she's one of them?" Rossi asked

Garcia nodded, "Yes but there's more. When I did a search on her it showed that she was missing for almost a year, about seventeen years ago. At that time it was thought that she was associated with Ian Doyle. So I did more digging and it seems as though this Chloe character is Declan's birthmother"

"I thought that you found his birthmother a few years ago?" Hotch asked

" I thought so too, so I retraced my steps and found that the woman I thought was Declan's mother really wasn't. But that she had given birth to Ian Doyle's child, but the child had died and shortly after so had the mother."

"So this Chloe character is Declan's real mother and I'm guessing she is here in the states with Patrick?" Rossi asked

"It seems that way" Garcia answered, "And this Chloe is not a very stand up character. She ran an international prostitution ring, before delving into chemicals. She was arrested for distribution of trafficking, manufacturing, and possession of weapons charges. She went away for three years"

"That's it? Three years?...So this is about more than revenge" Rossi stated

"And the question is what is she going to do with Declan. It doesn't seem like she is the motherly type" Hotch added

"I can think of only one thing. When you put a terrorist and someone like her together what's the one thing you have in common?" Rossi said

"Killing" Hotch answered, "They want to train him to become a terrorist and killer like themselves"

"To keep the legacy going. We know that if Ian would not have been arrested he would have raised Declan to be just like him. Emily said so herself" Rossi stated

"But Patrick would be interested in training him to become a terrorist. I don't think Chloe would… However, she would be interested in making money off of him by entering him into the prostitution ring." Hotch pointed out

"Then why would they be working together?" Rossi asked

"My guess is Chloe is making Patrick believe she is helping. But once they get back overseas, she would have three attractive boys to enter for money" said Hotch

"So there's a chance that all three of the boys are alive?" Rossi questioned

"If none of them of them have pissed her off too much. Which, at this point, I can think of only one who would push her to the brink…or him to the brink"

"Ethan" Rossi said quietly

"Yeah…but let's hope his good looks keep him in their good graces"

"Except you're forgetting the small part…where he looks exactly like Emily"

"Which means, right now, Declan is probably the safest one in that bunch" Hotch added

"But then we do have to factor into Ethan's favor that he is Ian's son also"

Hotch nodded, "Patrick probably realizes that as well, it's another reason why they kidnapped the entire family. But the problem with Ethan is that he is nothing like Ian. He looks just like Emily and he has her personality. I'm guessing that's probably not a good thing in Patrick's eyes. With Declan, he at least carries some of Ian's physical characteristics."

"But out of all them, those two would be the safest, right?" Rossi asked

Hotch looked at him, "Let's hope that it plays in their favor"

"What about Henry?" Garcia asked as she joined the conversation

Rossi and Hotch looked at each other, both thinking the same thing. He was the child that was the least safe.

"Sir?" Garcia asked again

"I'm sure he is fine" Rossi said

"I don't believe you. I want to know the truth now, not after it's too late" she said angrily

"Truthfully Garcia, it could go either way" Hotch told her, "He could be safe because he really has nothing to do with what they want…or...because in the end Chloe thinks she could get some good money for him"

"Or?" she asked

Hotch was silent for a moment before continuing, "Or because he isn't what they needed or wanted in the first place they could have gotten rid of him. It's a win-win because they get rid of what they don't need and they hurt Emily in the process"

"Oh my God. Not my little Henry. Oh my God. I don't think-"

"Penelope calm down. I'm sure he's fine. Let's not give up, okay" Rossi told her as he grabbed her by the shoulders to calm her down

"But-"

"No buts, let's stay positive. Hotch and I are going to check out this warehouse, okay" he told her calmly

The normally bubbly blonde nodded her head, "You call me as soon as you know something"

"Of course" the older man told her before standing up straight and following Hotch out of the technical analyst's office

Hotch called some officers and SWAT teams to meet them at the address Garcia had given them. As they climbed into the SUV the team leader turned to the older man.

"You do realize the probability of JJ and Henry being alive at this point is very slim…even Ethan"

Rossi only nodded, "It doesn't mean we need Garcia completely broken before we know the whole truth"

The vehicle became silent as Hotch continued to drive, "You think he let Emily live?"

Rossi nodded, "She would probably be severely injured, but yes, it's the ultimate punishment. Kill her wife and her son who is 'not technically related to her'. Take the other two because they are Ian's and raise them somewhere she would never be able to find them, so that they can turn them into killers…or… if Chloe got her way, sell them into a prostitution ring"

"But those two boys would never turn into killers" Hotch stated, choosing to ignore the last part of what the older man had said

Rossi nodded, "I know that's the other thing that worries me"

They drove to the air strip where they were going to catch a helicopter to cut their time down to a thirty minute flight time rather than an hour and a half drive.

**Back at the warehouse:**

Emily slowly woke up, finding herself on the cold ground. She moaned slightly from the pain in her head as she tried to sit up. She was very aware of how her body was slowly giving in to its injuries and pure exhaustion. As she forced herself up she felt a body next to hers and remembered JJ. She turned quickly towards the blonde woman who was still lying on her back.

"JJ" Emily said as she touched the younger woman's cheek before moving her hands carefully down to the wound on the blonde's side

Emily closed her eyes and shook her head, wishing she could rewind the last few years and maybe they wouldn't be where they were right now, but she knew that wasn't possible, so she tried to focus on the present time. She looked at her wife's face, her blue eyes closed. The brunette began to look around the room for something to stop the bleeding and she saw some pieces of duct tape balled up next to the wall. She stood up, as carefully as she could so she didn't cause too much pain in her leg, before hobbling over to the wall and picking up the ball of tape. Then she turned and made her way back over to JJ, as she plopped unceremoniously down onto the hard ground next to her wife.

Emily slowly began to try to get some of the tape free, finding the task much more difficult than she imagined, with her injured hand. She placed the ball of tape between her knees, clutching them together, as she began to pick at the tape with her good hand. After a few minutes she was able to work a couple of pieces loose. Holding part of the tape in her mouth she ripped off a couple of pieces. Then she lifted JJ's shirt, using part of it to wipe around the open hole in her side. She then placed a piece of the duct tape over the wound, pressing down on it to assure it stuck. As she did JJ moaned in pain and shifted on the ground, obviously trying to move away from the discomfort.

Emily reached up and brushed some hair out of JJ's face, stroking her cheek lightly, "It's okay baby, it's just me"

The blonde slowly opened her eyes and blue eyes connected with brown.

"Hey" Emily said with a light smile

"Hey" JJ squeaked out as she tried to sit up, moaning slightly in pain

"Easy Jayje" the brunette said as she held the blonde down gently

"Shit" JJ said as she looked down at her blood soaked clothes

"I'm so sorry baby" Emily told her sincerely

"Emily I'm okay. It just stings a little" the blonde said, trying to downplay the situation

The brunette just glared at her and the blonde smiled, "Okay it stings a lot"

"I hate to ask you this, but I need you to roll onto your right side for me" Emily told her

JJ raised a questioning eyebrow and Emily held up the piece of tape, "I need to close the wound so the bleeding will stop…or at least lessen"

"Duct tape?" JJ asked

"It's the only thing I could find…and it seems to be working in the front" the brunette answered

JJ let her left hand slide up to her side and felt the tape covering the hole in her body. She then looked back up at Emily.

"I guess you really can use duct tape for anything" she said, trying to lighten the mood

Emily shook her head at her wife before nodding. JJ returned the nod as she attempted to roll onto her right side with Emily's assistance. The blonde bit her top lip to muffle her obvious discomfort.

Emily then quickly wiped the blood away from the wound on the back of JJ before placing the tape over the hole and pressing down quickly to make sure it stuck. She felt JJ flinch under the pressure and her heart broke for the pain she was causing. Once she was finished she helped JJ roll onto her back.

"Sorry" Emily said again

"It's okay" JJ told her, "Will you help me sit up"

"I don't think that's a good-"

"Just do it Emily" JJ said cutting her off

When the brunette made no move to help her, JJ began to push herself up, biting her lip again to hide the pain. Emily immediately reached for the blonde to help her finish sitting up.

"You're so damn stubborn" the brunette stated

"And you're not" JJ countered

The two women stared at each other, before Emily broke the silence, "I don't want to fight JJ"

"Me either…at least not with you" she responded

"I can't take this any longer. I want to get the hell out of here. I want to get you and the boys out of here" the brunette stated

"I know, me too" the blonde agreed

Before they could continue their conversation, they heard a key in the lock. Emily immediately pushed herself to her feet, hiding the grimace of pain as she did. She stepped in front of JJ as the blonde slowly and painfully got to her feet as well. She stepped to the side of Emily and the brunette only gave her one look that the blonde gave right back before both of their attention was drawn to the man entering the room.

The man that stepped forward was Justin, Timothy's brother, not at all who they were expecting to come through the door. He slowly lowered his gun to his side as he stared at the two women who looked determined to kick some ass, even though they were injured.

"I'm not here to hurt you" he told them

"It's a little late for that, don't you think" JJ replied

"Look, I'm sorry, about all of this. But if you want to get out of here you're going to have to trust me" he said

"Why should we trust you?" Emily asked, staring at the young man

"Because, right now, I'm the only one who can get you and your kids out of here" he answered

Emily and JJ continued to stare at the man, sizing him up. He had days to help them escape, so why was he choosing now.

"Why now?" Emily asked, receiving a 'are you kidding me' glare from JJ

"He killed my father" Justin answered before turning slightly to glance over his shoulder, "And, truthfully, I never wanted to be a part of this. I just didn't have the courage to stand up to my father, or my brother. So please, let me make this right"

"Do you have an extra gun?" Emily questioned

Justin reached behind him with his left hand and Emily immediately stepped in front of JJ as the young man pulled a handgun from his back waistband. He turned it so that the handle was facing the women. Emily took a few tentative steps forward before JJ grabbed her hand. The brunette turned slightly and nodded to the blonde that it was okay. JJ slowly dropped Emily's hand and watched as the brunette reached for the gun, taking it from Justin's grasp. She took that moment to also look into the young man's eyes. She could see the hurt and confusion that was there, but she wasn't going to question any of it right now. She had no choice but to trust him and hope that they weren't falling into a trap. She then took a step backwards, still facing Justin, but reaching her right hand, which held the gun, behind her, towards JJ.

"Emily" JJ questioned

"Take it JJ" the brunette said

"No, you keep it" the blonde replied

Emily finally turned enough to look over her shoulder at her wife, "JJ take the gun. You're the better shot"

"But Em-"

The brunette cut her off quickly, "Just take the damn gun JJ…please"

The blonde could see the pleading in her wife's dark eyes, so she reached out and took the gun, knowing that Emily was right.

Justin nodded, "Okay let's go. But be quiet. I'm not sure how long I was able to distract them"

Justin was the first to exit the room into the hallway, followed closely by Emily, with JJ bringing up the rear. They made their way slowly down the hallway, before Emily quietly opened her mouth.

"Where are our kids?" she questioned

He stopped to turn and look slightly over his shoulder at her, "Other side of the warehouse"

Emily nodded at him before he turned to look ahead of him. As they made their way to the end of the hallway to the open part of the warehouse, with only a sporadic pile of crates here and there, they all paused as Justin poked his head around the corner, scanning the warehouse.

"There is one guy guarding the front from the outside and another guarding the same door from the inside. Then another man who walks around patrolling the inside of the entire warehouse" he informed the two women without looking at them.

As Justin stepped out into the open warehouse, Emily stepped behind him. The three made their way a few steps, trying to reach a stack of crates a few feet from them. Before they made it there all three heard a man shout.

"TRAITOR"

Before any of them had time to react they all heard a gunshot ring out, followed by Justin falling backwards onto the ground, nearly taking Emily down with him. JJ immediately turned her head in the direction the shot came from and saw a man aiming a gun at them from up in the rafters. She pulled her trigger without flinching as she watched the bullet rip through his chest before he fell from the rafters. She quickly turned back around to see Emily pulling the gun from Justin's grasp, blood pouring from a bullet hole in his neck.

JJ looked at Emily who nodded her head. Emily then looked over the top of the crate she was next to and saw Patrick Doyle shoving Declan across the middle of the warehouse.

"You whores better come out or I'm going to put a bullet through the head of your only remaining child" he shouted as he glanced around the warehouse

Emily began making her way around the crates, away from JJ, keeping an eye on Patrick and Declan to the best of her ability.

Meanwhile JJ was keeping an eye on them from the angle she was at and was so preoccupied she didn't hear the footsteps behind her until it was too late. She spun around only to be tackled to the ground by Timothy, her gun flying out her grasp as the two of them hit the ground. She cried out in pain as he landed on top of her, the weight of his body connecting with the gunshot wound in her side.

Emily heard JJ cry out and she turned her head quickly to look behind her. She then turned back to look at Patrick and Declan, before turning back to where the sound of JJ's cry came from.

"Dammit" the brunette cursed to herself as she fought an internal battle with herself as she struggled to make the decision of who she should try to save.

Just as she was about to head towards Patrick and Declan, she looked between the crates and saw Declan stomp down on Patrick's foot before elbowing him in the ribs. Then he spun out of the older man's grasp and took off running in the general direction of her and JJ. She pointed her gun towards Patrick as he aimed his gun at Declan's back. She fired first, missing him, but causing him to duck and run for cover. She sighed as she watched him disappear behind crates on the opposite side of the warehouse, before she turned to head back towards JJ.

Meanwhile Timothy was wrestling with JJ on the floor. She managed to get a good couple of punches on his face, dazing him enough to where she tried reaching for her gun, which was just out of reach. He regained himself enough to ball his fist up and smack her on the left side of her head twice. As she struggled to fight her blurry vision, she felt him climb on top of her, straddling her waist and making sure to dig his right knee into her left side, hard. She attempted to bring her right fist up to punch him in the face, but he grabbed both of her wrists and pinned them down beside her head.

"Don't try to fight it baby. You know you want it" he told her as he leaned down so that she was able to feel his breath against her face.

Then he slowly began to grind against her, before speeding up faster. As he moved the friction from his leg on her hip was causing blinding amounts of pain for the blonde woman. Between the pain and the feel of him against her stomach, she could taste the bile that was rising in the back of her throat. She let out a small cry of pain before spitting in his face, stilling his movements for a moment.

"You bitch" he shouted as he began to grind against her again

Just as he raised his fist to strike her again he heard someone shout.

"LEAVE HER ALONE"

But before he could react Declan had ran at Timothy, crashing into him hard, knocking him off of JJ and onto the ground. The teenager began rolling around with Timothy as both tried to lay in some good punches. JJ struggled to fight the pain she was feeling in her entire body as she watched her teenage son begin to wail on the man who was bigger, and what she thought was most likely stronger, than him.

JJ rolled slightly to her right, trying to reach her gun, just as she heard another voice, "Uh uh uh love. Don't even think about it"

The blonde halted her movements, before slowly returning to her back and looking up, only to find Chloe standing above her aiming a gun at her head. The brunette woman then began kicking JJ hard in her wounded side, making the blonde cry out in pain.

"Well, well, looks like I am going to get to end your life after all. Thanks for raising my son to be a wimpy loser" she said to JJ as she kicked her one more time, before moving to stand near the blonde's feet

"He doesn't look like much of a wimp to me" JJ retorted through heavy breaths as she motioned towards where Declan and Timothy were still fighting, the blonde teenager seeming to hold his own

Chloe smirked before looking at JJ and beginning to slowly pulling the trigger. Emily came around the corner at that time and saw Declan lay one last, good, hit across Timothy's head, sinking onto his knees beside the man and cradling his right wrist in his hand. Then her attention shifted to JJ who was lying on the ground, clearly in pain, with Chloe standing practically at her feet, her gun pointed at JJ.

"Don't do it Chloe" Emily said as she raised her gun and started walking towards the two women

"Maybe you should put your gun down, Emily, or I will put a bullet through your wife's head" Chloe told her

"Well then I'll just have to put a bullet through your head" the brunette replied as she raised her weapon at the woman, while stepping in front of JJ, so that she was now the one in Chloe's line of sight…and aim

Emily pulled the trigger first, but nothing happened. She tried to hide her state of shock when the weapon didn't fire, but it obviously didn't work well.

Chloe smiled before letting out a little laugh, "Well, looks like I win"

Emily continued to stand in front of where JJ was laying, refusing to budge. Chloe shrugged her shoulders before aiming at Emily's left arm and firing a shot. The brunette let out a cry as she felt the bullet rip through her arm, but she still didn't move.

"EMILY" JJ shouted as she pushed herself to a sitting position, despite her pain

Chloe smiled as she moved the gun and aimed it directly at Emily's chest. The two brunettes just stared down one another before Chloe began to pull the trigger. However, what happened next surprised all three women. As Chloe pulled the trigger Declan had jumped in front of Emily, his back to Chloe as the shot rang out. The bullet ripped into the back of Declan's right shoulder, the force knocking him forward as he and Emily began to fall down, towards JJ. The blonde teenager tried to break his and his mother's fall, so that they wouldn't land roughly on top of JJ, but as Declan's right hand came in contact with the ground, he felt the rest of his bone snap, as well as some of his fingers and he cried out in pain.

Emily landed with her upper back and head on JJ's legs, while trying her best to break Declan's fall. As soon as they hit the ground and she felt her son cry out, her arms wrapped around him, his head resting on her shoulder, her hands now covered in blood from his shoulder. She could easily feel his short, deep breaths and her heart broke for what he had just done. The brunette then stared up into the cold, hard eyes of the woman who had just shot her own son, her own flesh and blood. Emily's eyes only widened more as Chloe simply raised the gun and aimed it at her son's back. Emily then rolled herself and Declan, so that she was on top of the blonde teenager. She made sure his face was buried in her chest and her arms were tightly around him as she fought back the tears that were threatening to fall. She then closed her eyes as she pressed a quick kiss to the top of Declan's thick blonde hair.

When Emily heard the shot ring out, she was momentarily stunned, not feeling any pain, but wondering if it was only a matter of seconds before the pain would come, but then she heard a laugh…Chloe's laugh and her heart broke. The only thing she could think of she said out loud.

"JJ"

Emily lifted her head to look at her blonde wife and saw that she was the one holding a gun. Emily's eyes widened as she quickly turned her head to look at Chloe. She noticed that JJ had shot her in her right arm, causing the woman to drop her gun.

"That's all you got?" Chloe questioned

With that question, all JJ did was keep her gun raised as she pulled the trigger, again. This time she hit Chloe in her other arm and watched the brunette woman fall down in pain.

"Now what you heartless bitch" JJ replied before falling onto her back, releasing a groan of pain

Emily looked at her wife then back to her son, who was fighting to stay conscious. She carefully scooted off of Declan, brushing some hair out of his face and leaning down to kiss him on the cheek.

"It's okay baby. You're going to be okay. Just hang on" she told him as she looked into his blue eyes

He nodded, "I'm sorry mom"

"You have nothing to apologize for, D, do you hear me? None of this is your fault" Emily told him as she cupped his cheek with her right hand, his eyes closing slightly

She placed another kiss to his cheek before scooting closer to JJ, who was also fighting her body to stay conscious.

"Jayje" the brunette said sweetly

The blonde woman's blue eyes met brown and JJ smiled slightly, "Go…find them"

"Jen" Emily began, knowing she was referring to the other boys

"Please" JJ begged, both woman knowing what the other wanted

Emily let a stray tear slide down her cheek, "I love you JJ"

"I know…I love you too" the blonde replied

Emily then turned to look at Declan, whose head was resting on JJ's thigh.

"I'm…okay" he told his brunette mother

Emily nodded as she slowly pushed herself up, groaning in pain as she did. Then she turned and hobbled over to where Chloe was laying. She bent down and picked up the gun that the other woman could no longer hold.

"You'll regret this" Chloe stated

Emily simply pulled back her fist and punched Chloe in the face as hard as she could. She watched as the other brunette woman fell unconscious. Then she got back up and began limping, as carefully as she could towards the crates. As she was about to peak around the corner of a crate, she heard something beside her. As she turned she was met with Patrick Doyle flying at her, knocking her through the air and onto the ground, his solid body landing on top of hers.

JJ screamed as she saw the events unfold. Declan slowly outstretched his left hand towards JJ's left and their hands clasped together.

Patrick and Emily began rolling across the floor as both of them landed punches to each other. JJ saw when Patrick rolled them and ended up on top of the brunette. He was in between her legs and the blonde knew they were both fighting for one thing…a gun. And JJ could do nothing but watch what was happening.

Emily could feel her right hand wrap around part of the gun that Patrick had gripped in his left. She continued to struggle with him for possession of it. When she tried to bring her left hand over to help, Patrick grabbed it hard and squeezed right where she had the cloth wrapped around it, protecting the gaping wound. As he squeezed it she cried out in pain. While she was fighting the obvious pain, he slid his free right hand, down between her legs, bracing himself on his knees and pushing her legs further apart, causing pain in her left leg from her stab wound. She was fighting back the stars caused from the intense pain she was enduring. And only when she felt Patrick's hand begin rubbing over her capris between her legs, did she fight to come back to her senses. She began struggling, but he just rubbed harder.

"I didn't get to finish with your wife earlier…but I guess you will do. I get to find out first hand why my brother was so hyped up about you" he told her, loud enough that JJ could hear him

"NOOO" Emily shouted as she struggled harder, spitting in his face

He pulled his hand away from her, reaching down to her left thigh and punching it hard, right where her wound was.

"Aggghhhh" she shouted, wincing in pain

She took some deep breaths trying to regain herself, when she felt his hand snake back down between her legs, this time going under her pants. At the same time she also heard what sounded like helicopters landing outside. As soon as she felt his hand and fingers she reared her head up, smacking their foreheads together. This time he cried out in pain as his head dropped to her neck and he bit down, splitting the flesh and causing her to scream. But she fought back just as hard, turning her head and biting his ear.

"YOU BITCH" he shouted as he removed his hand, hitting her in the side of the face

As he lost his balance Emily threw all of her weight the opposite direction and they once again began to roll across the floor, fighting for control of the weapon between them. JJ watched as they rolled out of her eyesight.

Emily knew she had no choice but to add her wounded hand into the equation. She snaked it between their fighting bodies, taking the opportunity to slam her right leg roughly against his left, knowing that is where he had been stabbed with the screwdriver, which was just enough of a distraction for her to get her bad hand around the gun as well, as he let out a groan of pain. The next thing she knew the gun was going off, not once, but twice. She felt the weight of Patrick Doyle bearing down on her and she could feel a warm substance between both of their stomachs as she heard JJ shout her name, but she couldn't get any words to come out of her mouth.

Then suddenly she heard other familiar voices. She thought they sounded like Hotch and Rossi. She was having trouble breathing and she didn't know if it was from the weight of Patrick Doyle's body or because she had indeed been shot. She heard footsteps running towards her and she looked up over her head, thinking she recognized the man standing there as Hotch.

"Hotch?" she questioned weakly

The team leader knelt down beside her nodding his head, "It's okay Emily. You're all okay"

She heard his words and the sound of his voice and she knew she couldn't fight anymore, so she finally gave into her body's exhaustion and closed her eyes.

Hotch took in the scene before him, the blood that was pooling out from between both Patrick and Emily, as he tried to fight his worst fears. He saw the way Patrick Doyle was positioned on top of Emily, along with him laying between her legs. The leader grabbed Patrick by the shoulders and carefully rolled him off of Emily. As he did he saw blood covering both of their torsos and the gun resting on Emily's stomach. He knelt back down next to Emily, removing the gun, before gently lifting the bottom of her shirt, over her abdomen, checking for gunshot wounds. He sighed when he didn't find any, but grew angry at the amount of bruises that were covering her stomach and ribs, along with the scar that had been left by Ian Doyle nearly five years ago. He then felt for a pulse and found a very weak one.

"I need a medic" he shouted into his radio and just out loud in general

"I need two medics in here" Rossi shouted, shortly after Hotch

The leader turned his attention to where he knew Rossi was. He got up and headed around the crates, finding Rossi kneeling by both Declan and JJ, both of whom were unconscious.

"Dave?" Hotch questioned, nodding towards the two blondes

"They are both breathing, but JJ's pulse is very, very faint" he told the younger man

"Emily's is too" he told Rossi, knowing the older man was wondering

"Hotch I need to roll Declan because I'm not sure where this blood is coming from. I don't know if it's him or JJ. She already has one gunshot wound that I can clearly see, but"

Hotch knelt down on the other side of the boy and both men looked at each other when they saw JJ and Declan's left hands laced together. Then they nodded at each other as they slowly rolled Declan to his stomach, allowing his head to stay rested on JJ's thigh. As soon as they did, they saw the gaping hole in the back of his shoulder, where blood was still pouring out. Both men looked at each other as Rossi began to apply pressure and Hotch stood up shouting for help.

"WHERE THE HELL ARE THE MEDICS? WE'VE GOT AGENTS DOWN WITH GUNSHOT WOUNDS"

Rossi looked up at Hotch when he used the plural form of Agent, knowing that meant Emily had been shot as well.

"She's okay Dave. They are all going to be okay" the leader told the older man, trying to force himself to believe it also

A few seconds later the EMT's came running in, two heading towards JJ and Declan, while the other two headed towards Emily and Patrick. Rossi immediately got up and headed towards the medic who knelt down next to Patrick Doyle.

"Get away from him" Rossi told the medic angrily

"But he's injured"

"I don't care. He's who did all of this"

"But-"

"No buts, those two women are federal agents and that boy in there is their son. They are top priority right now"

The medic looked from the older man to Hotch and the team leader merely nodded his head. The medic then got up and made his way over to where the blonde woman and blonde teenager were laying.

As Rossi looked down he saw Patrick Doyle looking up at him with a smug smile on his face.

"What are you smiling at? You are dying you sick son of a bitch"

"David Rossi" he choked out, as he coughed up some blood, then he smiled again, "I know what she feels like" he said nodding towards Emily "I know…what they…both feel like"

Rossi knew exactly what he meant and he didn't hesitate to raise his weapon, aiming it at Patrick's head.

"Dave" Hotch said stepping up beside the older man, "It's not worth it. He's already dead"

Rossi stared down into the cold eyes of Patrick Doyle as he coughed up more blood.

"And after what…I felt…I must say…my brother was…a lucky…man" he said looking up at both agents and seeing the anger in their eyes

"And you're a lucky man that you are already dead" Hotch told him

"How does it feel Patty Doyle?" Rossi questioned as he looked down at the older man, who shared many characteristics with his brother Ian

"How does it feel to know your family got beat again by Emily Prentiss' family?" Rossi added, this time with his own smug smile

The two men watched as Patrick Doyle tried to say something, but only coughed up more blood, before finally his breathing stopped. Rossi saw something catch his eye and when he looked up he saw Chloe had stood up and was making her way towards the medics working on JJ and Declan. The older man didn't hesitate as he raised his gun and shot Chloe in the back. Hotch turned to see Chloe laying face down by two frightened looking medics, before turning back to Rossi who turned his attention away from Hotch and focused on the medic working on Emily. His eyes widened at the amount of blood she was covered in, as his eyes scanned the rest of her body. He saw her leg, wrapped in what looked like at tie, and her left hand wrapped in another piece of cloth. Then he saw her upper left arm, which appeared to be losing as much blood as Declan's shoulder had. He was categorizing the bruises and cuts across her face as well, when he noticed the bruising handprints that were on her neck.

As he started to make his way towards her Hotch grabbed his arm, "Let them work on her"

"JJ has handprints around her neck as well" the older man stated

Hotch nodded, "Let's go find the other two"

Rossi shook himself from his stupor, remembering that they were still missing two little boys. He turned and nodded to Hotch, as they grabbed two SWAT members to start searching the other side of the warehouse.

When they got to the hall on the other side, the SWAT team began knocking in the doors so that they could search each room. When the third door was busted open, Hotch spotted Ethan lying on his left side.

"Ethan" Hotch said out loud, attempting to get the boy's attention

The team leader began to slow his movements when the child didn't respond. He couldn't tell from where he was if the brunette boy was breathing and he swallowed hard as he got closer, Rossi right behind him. When Hotch got to him, he knelt down beside the small preteen and reached out to feel for a pulse. He sighed when he felt a faint one.

"I NEED A MEDIC NOW" he shouted as he pulled his knife out and cut the tape that was binding the young boy's wrists together

That's when Hotch noticed the blood. He rolled Ethan to his back and saw that the left side of his head had a huge gash in it and blood was still slowly seeping out of it. Rossi looked over at the boy and noticed he was missing one shoe, his dark shorts were torn, along with his white dress shirt in several places. His white shirt was now more of a gray and had large amounts of dried blood on it. The older man swallowed hard as he watched Hotch scoop up the boy in his arms, as if he weighed nothing. He then headed out the door with Ethan in search of a medic.

Rossi turned and ushered the SWAT team to continue to search the remaining three rooms. Just as they were about to bust down the last door, Hotch rejoined them. The last door was knocked down and as they looked inside they all sighed when they didn't see Henry. They were about to turn around when Hotch pointed to the dark corner.

"There"

He and Rossi headed to the corner, where they found Henry curled up in a ball, his mouth, wrists, and ankles taped together. The older man knelt down beside him as he brushed some of the silky blonde hair out of the seven year olds eyes. Hotch began cutting the tape from his ankles as Rossi carefully peeled the tape off of his mouth. The boy didn't move at all and Rossi immediately felt for a pulse, finding one and closing his eyes in thanks. Hotch had cut the tape from the small boy's hands by this time also and both men saw how blue his little hands were. They also felt how cold his skin was, despite the fact that it was nearly one hundred degrees in the warehouse. The two men took in his dirty appearance…torn shorts, as well as some holes and blood on his red superman shirt, his white long sleeve shirt that was underneath the short sleeve shirt was the same kind of gray Ethan's had been. As Rossi scooped the tiny boy into his arms, he heard a small mumble.

"Henry?" Rossi questioned as he pulled the boy back gently

He was met with light brown eyes fighting to stay awake, "Granpa Dave" he said hoarsely

Rossi smiled as he placed a kiss to the seven year old's cheek, "Yeah little man, you're okay"

It was as if that was all of the validation Henry needed, before his head connected with Rossi shoulder again as he passed out.

Rossi and Hotch hurried back to the main part of the warehouse, passing the boy off to another medic. They were informed that two ambulances had already left with Emily, JJ, and Declan. The other ambulance was going to take the two smaller boys.

Hotch nodded and informed the medic that they would be following them. A few minutes later Hotch and Rossi were heading towards the hospital.

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><p>AN: Well I hope you liked this chapter, because it took me forever to get it to this point…where I felt like it worked…and that I actually liked it. I have decided that there will probably be one more chapter with this story, wrapping up the hospital part of it. I plan on writing another story that will deal with the aftermath of everything that's happened…because let's face it, you can't go through an ordeal like that and not suffer the consequences. I will begin writing that story soon…hopefully. So be on the lookout for it…the title will be Unexpected Aftermath…I think!


	15. Chapter 15

A/N: I'm not even going to apologize for the huge gap in time that I have not uploaded. I have been traveling like crazy and only find time to work on it a little bit in the evenings before I just get so tired I have to crash. I know I said that this would be the last chapter, but the last chapter of course has ended up way longer than I anticipated. So far I have like 130 pages in word and I am still working on it, slowly but surely. So I am uploading about 50 or so pages at a time so that I can update this story and try to get it finished asap. My goal is to have this particular story completed before the season premiere in September. the problem with that is I am going to be traveling a lot in the next 3 weeks and then I am preparing to leave the actual country again for a long trip to Europe. But please bare with me. I am trying my hardest to get this completed so that I can start working on the next edition of this family story. And yes I still plan on having the next story dealing with the aftermath of everything that has happened to them.

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><p>Chapter 14<p>

Hotch followed the ambulance at lightning speed all the way to the hospital, sirens blaring. As he brought the SUV to a squealing halt, the two men barely had time to jump out of the vehicle before the two small boys were being wheeled quickly inside on gurneys. As the two agents ran through the halls following the gurneys, they were finally stopped by a doctor and told they could not come any further.

"What about their parents? Where are they?" Hotch asked the doctor

"I don't know. You can ask the nurse at the desk over there. But you two can't come any further. You can go wait in the waiting room at the end of the hallway" he said before quickly turning and going through some double doors marked 'Hospital Staff Only.'

Rossi turned and headed back down the hallway to the nurses' station. He pulled out his badge, his hands shaking, as he flipped it open for the nurse behind the desk to see.

"I need to find out where two federal agents are, as well as their son" he stated

Hotch had walked over and joined him by that time, noticing that Rossi's right hand was shaking as he still held open his badge. Hotch looked down and noticed that they still had their bullet proof vests on so there really was no need to show the nurse their badges, but he knew that was the last thing on the older man's mind.

"Name?" the nurse asked as she looked at the two agents standing in front of her

"Jennifer Jareau, Emily Prentiss, and Declan Prentiss" Rossi replied

The nurse began to type on her computer, her eyes scanning the screen. Finally she looked up and noticed how broken both men appeared to be.

"We show that a Jennifer Jareau was taken straight to surgery" she told the two men

"What about the other two?" Hotch asked

"Their names aren't in the computer-"

"What do you mean they aren't in the computer?" Hotch said, raising his voice, "All three of them came in at the same time"

"Sir I need you to calm down" she told him as she stood up from her chair behind the desk

"I'll calm down as soon as you find out where they are" Hotch said angrily

"They have to be here somewhere, right" Rossi questioned as he looked from Hotch to the nurse

"I'm sure they are. They might have come in with more severe injuries and been rushed straight to surgery without having time to get all of their information into the computer. Please, go wait in the waiting room" she told them ushering towards the room at the end of the hall, "I will go look for them"

Both men nodded as they turned to head towards the waiting room. As they stood outside the room, Hotch pulled out his phone and dialed Jessica's number. He informed her on everything that had happened, telling her that if she wanted to take Jack and Penny home, that it was safe for her to do so. Then he called Garcia and filled her in on everything that had transpired.

The two men then opened the door and stepped into the waiting room, finding about three other people occupying chairs. They slowly removed their vests before walking to the opposite side and sitting down facing the door.

About fifteen minutes later the nurse and a doctor opened the door and the nurse pointed at the two agents, who immediately stood up and headed towards them.

"Are you two here for a Declan Prentiss?" the doctor asked

"Yes, how is he?" Hotch asked

"He needs surgery but both of the parents he has listed are apparently also here and unable to give consent. I looked at his records and other than his mothers, there is a Spencer Reid listed as his emergency contact and a David Rossi as his next of kin. Are either of you one of those men?" the doctor asked as he looked up at the two agents in front of him

"I'm David Rossi"

The doctor nodded, "Okay I need you to sign a consent form giving us permission to operate on him"

Rossi nodded as he took the clipboard from the doctor, "Are we talking about his shoulder?"

The doctor nodded again, "Yes. We need to go in and remove the bullet. It's lodged in his shoulder blade and ripped though some muscles and tissue. We are going to repair what muscle we can while we are in there, but he has a long recovery ahead of him"

Rossi and Hotch both nodded as they listened to the doctor, while the older agent signed the necessary papers for the operation.

As Rossi handed the clipboard back to the nurse, he looked at the doctor, "Other than his shoulder how is he?"

"That is our main concern right now. But other than that it looks as though he has a broken wrist, some broken fingers, and possibly some broken ribs. I'll explore more of his other injuries after the surgery"

Rossi nodded while Hotch replied with a quiet thank you before they watched the doctor walk quickly away. The nurse then came back up to them after putting the clipboard at her desk.

"I found out where the other woman is. She's in surgery also. I have all of her paperwork along with her sons I'm going to put in the computer right now. I'll let you know if I hear anything else"

The two men nodded their thanks before returning to their seats in the waiting room. A few minutes later another doctor came into the room.

"I'm looking for the family of an Ethan Prentiss" he said looking around the room

Rossi and Hotch both stood up quickly and made their way over to the doctor.

"That's us" answered Rossi

"The boy has a very severe head injury and I need permission to complete a CT scan to check his brain and an MRI to check for any internal injuries that might be present. But I cannot do that without parental consent"

The two men looked at one another before looking back at the doctor.

"His mothers are in surgery right now" Hotch told the doctor

The doctor let out a sigh, "Follow me"

The two agents followed the doctor out of the waiting room towards the nurses' station.

"Beth I need the paperwork for Ethan Prentiss" he told the nurse

Hotch and Rossi stood there while the nurse clipped some papers to a clipboard, before handing it to the doctor. The doctor looked it over before looking back at the two men.

"Okay it says here that the emergency contact, other than his parents, is a Derek Morgan. And the next of kin listed is a Derek Morgan and an Aaron Hotchner. Please tell me that the two of you are whose names I just read."

"I'm Aaron Hotchner"

The doctor nodded, "Okay I need you to sign these forms. Is Derek Morgan around?"

"He's a patient in this hospital"

"Okay, well then your signature will have to do. When his parents are able to talk to you, you should inform them that it's best to just have one next of kin listed, with a backup"

The two men nodded as the doctor handed the clipboard to Hotch who signed the papers and then handed the clipboard back to the doctor.

"Other than his head, how is he doing?" questioned Hotch

"Right now that is our biggest concern. As soon as I know more I will let you know"

With that the doctor turned, handing the clipboard back to the nurse and then heading back down the hall and through the double doors. As the two agents turned to walk back to the waiting room another doctor came around the corner heading straight to the nurses desk.

"Beth do you know if the family of a Henry Jareau is around here" he asked

Hotch and Rossi stopped in their tracks when they heard the boy's name. Turning around quickly Hotch spoke up first.

"That's us. We are the family of Henry Jareau" he said as they walked up to yet another new doctor.

The doctor pulled out the boy's chart and scanned through it, before looking back up at the two men.

"Well I was told both of his mother's are in surgery so they are unable to consent to what I need to do"

" Does he need surgery?" Hotch asked

"I hope not. But I need to run some tests to make sure. I would like to do a MRI and CT scan just to be safe, but I need permission"

Both men nodded as they waited for the next question. The doctor looked back at the papers before continuing.

"It says here the boy's emergency contact is a Spencer Reid and a Penelope Garcia, but that his next of kin listed is an Aaron Hotchner"

"I'm Aaron Hotchner"

"Okay could you please sign these papers" the doctor asked as he handed the clip board over to the agent

Hotch signed all of the papers before handing it back to the doctor.

"Thank you. I'll let you know how everything turns out" he told the two agents before turning and walking away

The two men turned to walk back to the waiting room when the saw a flash of color heading towards them.

"Oh my gosh, oh my gosh. How are they? Do we know anything? How are the mini's? Can we see them?" Garcia questioned, spewing out questions faster than the men could answer

"Garcia calm down" Rossi told her

"But my babies…all of my babies…they…I just"

"I know. Come on let's sit down and we will fill you in" Rossi said as he turned to guide her towards the waiting room

Before they opened the door Hotch heard another voice.

"DAD" Jack shouted down the hall

Hotch turned around to find his son flinging himself into his arms. As the ten and a half year old wrapped his arms around his father's waist, Hotch slowly hugged him back as he saw Jessica heading towards them with Penny in her arms.

"I knew you'd find them" Jack said before looking up at his father

Hotch gave his son a half smile. Jack knew that smile. It was an everything is not fine smile.

"What? What's wrong? Can I see Ethan now?" he asked as he stepped away from his dad

Hotch placed his hands on his son's shoulders as he bent down to look into his brown eyes.

"Buddy, we can't see Ethan right now. He's hurt pretty bad and we are waiting for the doctor to fix him up"

"How bad is he hurt?" the ten year old, caramel haired, boy asked

"We don't know yet. We are waiting for the doctors to come tell us"

Jack swallowed the lump in his throat as he soaked in the information he had just been given.

"But he's…he's going to be okay, right?" he asked, looking at his dad

"I…think so buddy" Hotch told him, wanting to keep his son's hopes up, even though he himself was unsure of how everything was going to turn out

Jack nodded as he looked down at the ground for a moment, before looking back up at his father.

"Can I see Aunt Emily and Aunt JJ?" he questioned with a smile

Hotch frowned as he shook his head, "No buddy, they are getting fixed up too"

Jack's eyes started to well up with tears, "But they are going to be okay, right?"

"Buddy, we really just need to wait for the doctors, okay" Hotch told him

"NO" Jack shouted as he ripped away from his father's grasp

"JACK" Hotch shouted as his son turned and ran down the hallway

As Hotch was about to follow, Rossi caught his arm.

"Let him go" he told the team leader

"But-"

"Aaron, let him go. Give him some space. That's a lot for an eleven year old to take in"

"He's not eleven yet" Hotch mumbled

"Aaron he will be in a couple months"

"I know. I just-"

"I know Aaron. I want to protect them too. But, unfortunately, we can't always do that."

"I know Dave. It's just…I don't think he can handle losing someone close to him…again. I mean JJ and Emily, they aren't just aunts to him-"

"I know Aaron. We all know"

"And Ethan…He's not just a best friend to Jack…He's-"

"The brother Jack never got. I know Aaron. We are a family. But just give Jack a little time. He'll come to you when he's ready"

Hotch nodded as he turned to Jessica, who was standing there, still holding Penny. He forced a small smile as he walked towards the two blondes, his eyes focused on the toddler.

"Hi Penny" Hotch said as he ran his hand through the blonde girls short hair, before placing a kiss on the top of her head.

"Hi" she replied with a wave, causing Hotch to smile a little more

As they filed back into the waiting room, Dave turned and headed down the hallway in search of Jack. He followed the path of the young Hotchner turning a corner and heading down another hallway. As the older man came to another T, he looked right and then left, before sighing and turning to his left, following the dimly lit hallway. When he came to the next T, he turned to his right and spotted Jack standing at the end of the hallway, in front of a snack machine. He walked up behind Jack and could hear the young boy sniffling.

"Hey sport" the older man said, stepping up next to the boy

The ten year old didn't say anything but continued to stare at the snack machine in front of him.

"Are you hungry?" Rossi asked, even though he knew the answer was no

Jack shook his head, continuing to stare at the machine. Rossi turned to look at the machine also and he could see the young boy's reflection in the Plexiglas.

"Jack" the older man said quietly

Jack turned and threw his arms around the older man's waist, "Are they going to die Uncle Dave?"

Rossi wrapped his arms around the caramel haired boy and sighed, "Honestly Jack, I don't know"

"I don't want them to die… Any of them" the boy stated

"I know. Me neither sport"

"I'm scared" Jack said

"Me too Jack. Me too" Rossi confessed

They stood in silence for a few minutes before Rossi spoke again, "Jack the doctors are going to do everything they can to help all of them. And you know, as well as I do, how strong that entire family is. They are too damn stubborn to let the bad guys win in this case"

Rossi felt Jack giggle a little at his choice of words and description of the Jareau-Prentiss family.

"Why don't we go back and wait with everyone else" the older man said as he took a step back from Jack

The boy nodded as he turned to walk beside Rossi as they headed down the hallway and back to the waiting room.

When they entered the waiting room Jack made his way towards his father who was sitting next to Jessica. The young boy walked up to his dad and stood in front of him.

"Sorry" Jack apologized to his father

"It's okay buddy. We are all worried about them" he said as he connected eyes with his son

Jack nodded before sitting down in the vacant chair next to his father. Hotch then looked up at Rossi and nodded, which the older man returned before heading over to sit next to Garcia, who had Penny perched on her lap. After sitting down Rossi reached over and tapped the small girl on the nose, causing her to pull back and giggle at him. Garcia and Rossi both let out a small smile at the toddler's antics before the normally bubbly blonde looked up at Rossi with sad eyes.

"I know Penelope. I know" he told her before she could say anything

He wrapped his arm around her shoulders and pulled her slightly closer to him, knowing she needed the comfort. And with Morgan lying in a hospital bed and Kevin not yet in the waiting room with them he took up that role for her.

A few hours later they were still in the waiting room, growing restless. Hotch was pacing back and forth, while Jack did the same. Jessica had gone to the cafeteria to get everyone some food and Penny was sound asleep in Garcia's arms, Kevin now sitting next to her. Rossi was also occupying a chair, lost deep in thought.

Suddenly the waiting room door opened and a doctor stepped inside, "Family of Henry Jareau"

"That's us" Hotch answered as he and Jack stepped up next to the doctor along with Rossi

Kevin and Garcia remained seated, mainly because the blonde was afraid of what might happen if it was bad news.

"We ran all of the scans and tests, but everything came out fine. Other than being severely dehydrated and a little bruised up he should be fine. He is however running a pretty high fever and upon further examination we found marks indicating he had been tazered, which can take a lot out of a child his age. We are going to keep him overnight so that we can monitor him and keep pushing fluids into him. I will check on him again tomorrow to determine if he is well enough to be released."

It seemed that everyone in the room let out a sigh of relief that the seven year old was going to be okay.

"Thank you doctor" Hotch said as he reached out to shake his hand

The doctor nodded, "He's been moved to the pediatric ward, which is on the fourth floor. And just be aware we pushed a lot of medication in him to help combat the fever, as well as to help him sleep. So don't be surprised if he doesn't wake up when you go in to see him."

Rossi and Hotch both nodded in thanks to the doctor again as he turned and left the waiting room.

"Shall we take turns going to see him? That way someone is always here if more news comes" Rossi suggested

Hotch nodded as he turned to look at Kevin and Garcia, "Why don't you two go first. I know how much you want to see for yourself that he's okay"

Garcia nodded, tears in her eyes, as she stood up. She handed Penny off to Rossi in passing before she and Kevin headed out of the waiting room in search of little Henry.

When the two adults finally found Henry's room, they both took a deep breath before entering it quietly. Garcia tried to hold back the tears as she saw the small seven year old laying on the bed, hooked up to IV's.

She slowly made her way over to his bed. As she reached down to take his hand in hers, she noticed the bruising, swelling, and cuts around his wrists.

"Oh my God" she said out loud, causing Kevin to move next to her right away

"What?" he questioned as he looked at her before looking down to where she was staring

"Oh" was the only word that escaped Kevin's lips as he saw Henry's tiny wrists

"My poor baby blonde munchkin" Garcia cooed as she bent down, brushing some blonde hair off of his forehead to plant a kiss.

"He's burning up" she stated

"The doctor said he was running a fever, which is common for kids who are dehydrated and have been through what he had" Kevin reminded her

Garcia only nodded as she began to look over her godson. As she did she found bruises on his arms in the shape of handprints and she couldn't stop the tears that began to fall.

"Penelope, he's going to be okay" Kevin told her as he wrapped his arm around her shoulders

"Physically maybe. But we don't know about mentally" she pointed out

"Well we will find out when he wakes up, won't we. He might have been spared from the worst of it"

"Spared from the worst of it" Garcia said angrily as she spun out of his grasp to turn and face him, "Did you miss the fact that the doctor said that he had been tazered? He's seven years old and he was tazered. Not to mention his wrists were tied so tight that they are cut, bruised, and swollen. Oh yeah AND he's running a fever"

"Penelope, calm down. I didn't mean-"

"You're darn right you didn't mean it. You just-"

Kevin did the only thing he could think of at that point. He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close, letting her cry it out into his chest.

"I'm sorry Penelope"

A few minutes later Garcia pulled away to look up at her long time boyfriend, "No I'm sorry. I shouldn't have snapped at you like that. I just…I love him so much…All of them"

"I know" he replied as he kissed her on the forehead, "Come on we should let the others come up to see him"

Garcia nodded, moving out of Kevin's grasp to place another kiss on the blonde boy's forehead before turning , taking Kevin's hand and walking out of the room.

They arrived back at the waiting room, Rossi handing Penny back over to Garcia, before following Hotch out of the waiting room and up the flight of stairs to the pediatric ward. The two grown men both fought back their emotions when they saw the tiny blonde headed boy laying on his back, his eyes closed. Hotch stood on one side of Henry's bed, while Rossi occupied the other side. The older man held Henry's small hand in his much larger one as Hotch ran his fingers through the seven year old's slightly long golden hair.

"He's definitely running a high fever" Hotch stated, breaking the silence

All Rossi could do was nod. This boy was like a grandson to him and the thought of losing him…any of them, was breaking his heart. He bent down and kissed Henry lightly on the forehead before letting the boy's tiny hand slide out of his own, back onto the bed.

"I'm going to head back down to the waiting room in case the doctors have come back with any more news" the older man said as he walked out of the room

Hotch watched Rossi walk out before looking back down at Henry.

"Don't worry, he'll be okay. He's just worried about you. We all are. So hurry up and get better. We are ready to hear your laugh again" Hotch said to the boy with a slight smile, remembering how everyone loved to hear the seven year old laugh. It was infectious.

Hotch then bent down and placed a soft kiss on Henry's forehead, "I'll be back in a little while. I'm just going to check on your mom's and brothers"

Then the leader turned and walked out of the room, stopping at the nurses' station on his way down the hall.

"Will you let me know if there is any change? I'll be in the waiting room on the second floor" the nurse nodded, knowing he was an FBI agent and that the little boy he had just visited was the son of two agents

When Hotch made it back to the waiting room Jessica had returned with some chips and sandwiches for everyone. She was sitting eating, while Jack sat next to her nibbling on the edge of his sandwich. Hotch looked at the others and saw that their food was just sitting either on their lap or in the chair next to them, untouched. He himself wasn't hungry either but he knew they needed to eat.

"Come on guys. Everyone needs to eat something to keep our strength up" he told them as his eyes scanned the room

Hotch then picked up the sandwich that was left for him, unwrapping it and slowly taking a bite. He forced down a few bites before he had to stop. He couldn't seem to control his turning stomach as the events from the past days began to play out in his head all over again. Why didn't he see it? Why didn't any of them see it? Had they really become that careless that none of his agents noticed that they were being followed. That they were being threatened. Was it because this team had become more than just a team? They had become stronger than any family he had ever met. Was this why Doyles people had gotten to so many members of his team, his family? Because they had let their guard down?

The leader was brought out of his reverie when the waiting room door opened, revealing another doctor.

"Family of Jennifer Jareau?" he asked looking around the room

"That's us" Hotch and Garcia said simultaneously as they stood up

The doctor looked around at the other people in the room, "Would you like to step out into the hall?"

Hotch shook his head, "Everyone in this room is the family of Agent Jareau"

The doctor looked around again, "I see"

"How is she?" Garcia asked, trying to hold her emotions together

The doctor turned to look at the vibrant looking blonde before scanning the room again, "Agent Jareau suffered some extensive injuries. We thought the worst of the injuries was the gunshot wound to her left side, so we went in to repair that. However, while she was on the operating table she began to have a seizure and we had to switch our focus to her head. We ran some tests and found that she had suffered from a severe head trauma, resulting from being beaten and possibly having her head smashed into the ground-"

"Oh my God" Garcia squeaked out as the tears began to fall

Kevin wrapped his arms around the blonde tech, hugging her tight.

"Please finish what you were saying" Hotch urged the doctor

"I noticed she had a scar on the side of her head so while we were running tests I found that she had been here at the end of last year for a gunshot wound to the head"

The adults all nodded, remembering that dark time in their lives and how lucky they were that the petite blonde had been okay.

"It seems with all of the trauma to her head, her brain began to swell again and that's why she lost consciousness. We had to put her in a medical induced coma so that the swelling in her brain can go down. She is also very dehydrated so we have her hooked up to IV's to get some nutrients back into her system."

"Oh my God" this time it was Jessica's turn to let her fears be known

Jack was standing next to his aunt, listening to every word the doctor said. The moment he heard the word coma, he knew it was bad.

"Is she gonna die?" the ten year old asked as he spoke up

The doctor dropped his eyes to the caramel haired boy who stepped out from behind his dad and Rossi.

"I'm sorry I didn't know there was a child in here" the doctor began to apologize

Hotch shook his head, "It's okay. He needs to know the truth"

The doctor looked at the team leader, unsure of whether to continue or not.

"You heard him. Finish what you were saying. Please" Rossi said looking at the doctor

"Right now she's in stable condition. We closed up her gunshot wounds. She was lucky it went clean through. She has severe bruises and cuts across the majority of her body, especially the upper half. We stitched up what we could and we have her on some strong pain medication even though she is in a coma. She went through a severe beating, especially to her stomach, which in turn damaged her spleen. She also has two broken ribs and one fractured rib. We are monitoring her closely for any signs of internal bleeding resulting from that damage to her spleen. If there is we will have to take her back into surgery to repair it"

The group of people in the waiting room all soaked up the information the doctor had just given them. He said JJ was stable, but that she was still technically in critical condition.

"The seizure?" Rossi began

"We were able to stop it. That's another reason we put her in a medical coma. It will prevent her from having any more seizures for the time being. And hopefully once the swelling goes down and we bring her out of the coma she won't have suffered any long term effects from the beating or the swelling, which means she wouldn't suffer from anymore seizures."

"But if there is long term effects?" questioned Hotch

"It depends on the extent of the injuries effects. She could be prone to seizures the rest of her life, which means she would have to be on medication to help prevent it and she would have to be carefully monitored during certain activities"

"Would she be able to remain an FBI agent?" Hotch asked

"It really all depends on how severe the seizures would be. But really at this time it's too early to jump to any conclusions. We really just have to wait and see what happens."

Hotch nodded in understanding even though he just wanted to the doctor to tell him that she was going to be fine. But he knew that was far from the truth, not only for JJ, but their entire extended family.

"Can we see her?" Rossi asked

The doctor nodded, "She's in ICU which is down the hall to your left at the very end. But only two at a time and no children"

"Unfortunately we know the drill" the older man replied

The doctor nodded before leaving the waiting room. The group of adults all remained standing there until Hotch spoke up.

"Garcia, do you and Kevin want to go first?" he asked them

"I…I don't know…I do…but….I…I think I need to sit down" she said as she began to back up

Kevin guided her into a chair before looking at the team leader, "Why don't you guys go first"

Hotch nodded before turning to Rossi. The older man nodded as he walked towards the door. Just as Hotch was about to follow Rossi into the hallway Jack stopped him.

"Dad" he said as he walked up to his father

"Yeah Jack" Hotch questioned as he looked down at his son

"Will you give Aunt Jen a kiss for me?" he asked sadly, the tears brimming in his eyes

Hotch pressed his lips together tightly, hating the sad look in his son's eyes, "Of course I will"

Jack nodded, "Thanks"

As Rossi and Hotch entered the ICU they both took a deep breath as they looked for JJ. They finally found her and both men nearly stopped breathing as they took in her appearance, while also flashing back to almost a year ago when they were visiting her motionless body in ICU.

They quietly entered the blonde's room, both men silent, internally kicking themselves for not finding their team members quick enough. Both men scanned the blonde's body, looking at the bruises and cuts that they could see. The petite blonde had severe bruising to the left side of her face, where she had obviously been punched numerous times. She also had some stitches and a fairly sizable bruise across her right cheekbone, as well as a smaller cut that looked fairly deep not far from the other stitches. They saw the large rectangular shaped bandage that ran across her left temple area, almost over the exact area where her other scar was.

The two men continued to scan her face and saw the patch of bruises along her right jaw as well as her bottom and top lip which had been split open. Hotch now also noticed the bruising along the blonde's neck in the shape of hand prints and he felt his fists curl up in balls at the anger he was feeling. Like Henry, JJ also had some bruising and cuts around her wrists, but they weren't nearly as bad as the little boys, which told the men that the seven year old boy was restrained much longer than JJ had been.

"If this is what this part of her body looks like that we can see, I hate to know what the rest looks like" Rossi said, finally speaking up

Hotch nodded, "I know. I'm sure her stomach and ribs look just as bad, if not worse"

"Garcia is going to have a breakdown when she sees her" stated Rossi

Hotch could only nod, knowing he was doing his best to hold it together, as was the older man. He hated to think he had to do this three more times….Well he hoped he got to do it three more times and that Declan, Ethan, and Emily were all going to be okay.

"JJ you have to fight. You have to fight harder than ever, okay? Henry is going to be just fine. I know the rest of them will be too. But they are going to want to see you as soon as they wake up, so you're going to have to get better real quick" Hotch said as he held the blonde's hand

"Yeah kid, you know the first thing Emily is going to ask us is 'How's JJ'" Rossi said with a sad smile as he looked down at the young blonde

Hotch looked from Rossi back down to JJ, before bending down, "Jack wanted me to give you this" he stated as he kissed the blonde gently on the forehead

"I'm going to go ahead and admit that this next one is strictly from me…Well I guess we can say it's from me and Emily" Rossi replied as he bent down and brushed his lips across JJ's left cheek

Rossi then turned and headed out of the room, back into the hallway. Hotch took a moment longer as he stared down at the agent he had come to know, respect, and love over the years. The one the other team members called mama bear, while he himself was regarded as papa bear. He smiled slightly at the thought of the others making fun of them the last time.

"_Ouch JJ he hit me again" Reid complained as he rubbed the back of his head where Morgan had just popped him_

"_Oh come on pretty boy you had it coming" Morgan joked with a smile_

"_Boys behave or I will put you both in time out" JJ stated in an authoritative voice_

_Emily snickered from her desk at the look on her two team mates faces just before she too was caught, only this time it was Hotch who spoke up._

"_Prentiss you should probably knock off your snickering and confess to Reid that you just slipped him four more files" the leader said from the catwalk outside his office_

_Emily's face immediately fell as she realized she had been caught. Morgan and Reid both then turned their attention to their friend. Reid looked shocked as he began to study the files on his desk before looking back at Emily, who just shrugged and gave a sweet smile. Meanwhile Morgan shrugged, but before he could say anything JJ spoke up again._

"_And just so you two know" the blonde said looking from Emily to Derek, "Hotch and I both know you were in cahoots together"_

"_What?" Emily questioned feigning disbelief_

"_I have no idea what you are talking about blondie" Morgan stated as he moved to perch himself on Emily's desk_

"_Morgan we know you were distracting Reid so that Prentiss could slip him the extra files that BOTH of you don't want to work on" Hotch responded_

_The partners looked at each other before sighing. Emily then whispered under her breath, "How come mama and papa bear always catch on to us"_

"_Because Prentiss, they have eyes everywhere. It's kind of creepy" the dark agent whispered back_

"_We can both hear you" Hotch informed them_

_Emily and Derek both shrunk down a little before turning their attention back to Reid who was watching the entire interaction with a smile on his face._

"_You better wipe that smile off your face boy wonder" Emily told him_

"_Yeah or there will be more than just extra files on your desk" added Morgan_

"_JJ they-"_

"_Reid, do you have to be so whiny?" JJ questioned, clearly getting annoyed with the situation_

"_Way to go you pissed off mama bear" Morgan said to Reid_

"_If anyone calls me mama bear one more time they are going to be staying to finish every single file tonight" JJ told them as she continued to look at the paper on her desk_

"_She can't do that can she?" Reid asked as he looked over to Emily and Morgan_

_Before either of them could answer Hotch spoke up, "No but papa bear can"_

_All three agents immediately turned their attention back to the files on their desk, not wanting to tempt fate by getting stuck at the office late on a Friday night._

"I'm going to send Garcia and Kevin in now. But I'll be back later to check on you. Your only job right now is to keep fighting" Hotch told her before turning and walking out of the room

Hotch and Rossi make it back to the waiting room, where they find there has still been no word on Emily, Declan, or Ethan.

"Aaron do you want me to take the kids home? It's getting late and there isn't really anything they can do here" Jessica said as she approached Hotch

Jack, however, overheard his aunt and immediately voiced his opinion, "I'm not leaving"

"Jack" she began but was cut off by the ten and half year old

"NO! I don't care if I can't see them. I still want to be here when the doctors come to tell us about them. And just because you take me home doesn't mean I'll be able to sleep" he stated as he began to grow angry

Hotch looked from his son to Jessica. He knew how scared Jack was by the way he was acting. He was a pretty easy going kid and it always took a lot to upset him.

Hotch then sighed as he looked down at his son, "I'm not going to make you go anywhere buddy, okay?"

Jack nodded slowly, his eyes again brimming with tears.

"But Aaron-" Jessica began

"I'm sorry Jessica, but he's right. He deserves to be here when the doctors come in" Hotch informed her

"But he's only ten and it's taken hours to even hear about JJ and Henry. Who knows how long it might be before there's any word on the other three" she replied

"I realize that. But these people aren't just friends or coworkers, they're family. You know that"

This time it was Jessica's turn to sigh, knowing he was right. She nodded slightly as she looked from Hotch down to her nephew.

"I'm sorry Aunt Jessica, but I want to stay here. Ethan's my best friend and I know he would stay if it were me" said Jack

Jessica smiled at the ten year old, his words ringing true. The two boys were two peas in a pod. She just hoped and prayed that Ethan was going to be okay.

Garcia finally found the courage to stand up, Kevin at her side as they made their way out of the waiting room to search out JJ's room.

When the two of them finally returned some thirty minutes later Garcia still had tears streaming down her cheeks. She knew her best friend was going to be injured and she knew what she should have expected after listening to what the doctor had told them. But none of that seemed to prepare her for what she had seen when she entered JJ's room.

Kevin helped her back to one of the chairs in the waiting room as Jessica announced that she was going to take Penny home to sleep. Hotch nodded, knowing the tiny toddler needed to rest in her own bed and get cleaned up. Jessica held the sleeping blonde in her arms as she allowed everyone to kiss her. Garcia passed off the keys to the Prentiss-Jareau house so that Jessica could take Penny there to sleep for the night and pack a bag in case she needed to keep the toddler at her place for the rest of the week.

Once Jessica and Penny were gone, the waiting room became quiet once again. It was now nearing 11pm and they still hadn't been updated on Emily, Declan, or Ethan. Jack finally took a seat next to Rossi, who was just staring down at the floor. Garcia was beginning to fall asleep on Kevin's shoulder, as he leaned his head back against the wall and shut his own eyes. Hotch, however, continued to pace the room.

A couple of hours later Hotch found himself waking up to his phone ringing. He looked around, slightly confused about his surroundings, until he remembered he was in the waiting room of the hospital. He pulled his phone out of his pocket and answered it, as he stood and walked to the door, before stepping out of the waiting room into the dimly lit hospital hallway. Once he finished the conversation, he looked down at his watch and saw that it was 130am. He looked through the window of the waiting room to find Rossi looking back at him, Jack asleep across a couple of chairs, as well as Kevin and Garcia asleep. He watched as Rossi slowly stood before coming to join him in the hallway.

"Who was it?" the older man asked in a tired voice

"The hospital" answered Hotch

Rossi raised an eyebrow but before he could ask the next question Hotch began to fill him in.

"They were calling to tell me that Morgan woke up. He's been asking what happened"

"Are you going up to see him?" Rossi asked

Hotch nodded, "I'm going to go fill him in…on everything"

The older man nodded, "I'll go with you"

"Dave you don't have too"

"I know. I also know Morgan is going to be upset when he hears about everything that has happened. And I know he's going to blame himself"

"But none of this is his fault" Hotch pointed out

Rossi nodded, "It doesn't mean he's not going to blame himself. You and I both know how responsible he feels for people close to him, especially Emily and Reid"

Hotch nodded, "Okay let's go do this"

The two men turned to walk down the hall towards the elevator. The rode up to the floor Morgan and Reid were on. Both men pulled their badges out to show the guards outside the agent's room, before they entered. They saw both of their team mates with their eyes closed before they saw Morgan open his eyes at the sound of the door closing.

"Hotch, what happened?" the dark agent croaked out

"You were shot" the leader stated

"Yeah I got that part" Morgan replied, "But what happened to Reid?"

Hotch sighed as he pulled a chair over to sit beside the dark agent, "He was hit by a car"

Morgan's face showed the confusion before Hotch continued, "Someone was after our team, but we didn't realize it until it was too late"

"What do you mean, too late?" Morgan questioned

"You were shot and our first impression was that it was a random shooting. You were just in the wrong place at the wrong time. But then…"

Hotch paused and that was all it took for Morgan to become even more nervous than he already was, "But what Hotch? What happened?"

"While you were in surgery we kept trying to get hold of Prentiss and JJ, but they weren't answering. By the time you came out of surgery we knew something wasn't right"

"Hotch? Where are they?"

"They are both here. JJ's in ICU and Emily…she's still in surgery" the leader replied, his voice nearly faltering

"What? What happened?" Morgan asked as he struggled to sit up in his bed, the pain evident on his face

"It's a long story Morgan. But for now, you need to rest"

"No" the dark agent stated forcefully as he sat completely up in bed, biting back the pain in his entire shoulder and chest as he did, "Tell me what happened. It's obviously something terrible since four members of your team are in the hospital"

Hotch and Rossi both looked at Morgan with sad eyes, which didn't go unnoticed by the dark agent.

"What? It is only them right?" he questioned before his eyes grew wider, "Is Garcia hurt also?"

"No, no. She's fine" Hotch responded quickly, as he tried to calm him

"Then what else? I know there's more"

Rossi took a deep breath as he stepped closer to Morgan's bed, "You're right. There is more. It's not just the four of you who are in the hospital injured"

Rossi's dark eyes connected with Morgan's before he continued, "The boys are here also"

Morgan swallowed before he asked the next question, "They're hurt?"

Rossi and Hotch both nodded before Hotch spoke up again, "While Emily and JJ were at the beach with the boys, they were all kidnapped. We didn't realize it until it was too late. I sent Reid and Rossi to check out the house and that's when Reid was hit by the car"

"But-" Morgan started to speak but was cut off as Hotch continued

"We realized once Emily, JJ, and the boys were missing that they had to have been the targets all along. We also found evidence of them being watched at their house-"

This time Morgan did cut him off, "Penny?" he asked quickly, suddenly extremely worried about the toddler, who was also his goddaughter.

"She's okay" Hotch told him, "As soon as we realized what was happening we moved everyone to the BAU just to be safe"

"Who kidnapped them and did all of…this?" Morgan asked, his body slowly growing tired again, even though he was fighting against it

Hotch and Rossi both sighed again, neither man wanting to mention the name that they had all come to loathe over the years.

"Guys?" the dark agent questioned when he still didn't receive an answer

"Doyle" Rossi said, the disdain evident in his voice

Morgan's eyes turned from shock to anger before he spoke again, "But he was dead. I killed him"

The two older agents nodded before Hotch took over talking, "He had a brother who had apparently been planning revenge on Emily for quite awhile. He was just waiting for the perfect time and the perfect partner"

Morgan's eyebrows raised in question.

"Declan's birth mother helped with the whole operation. It was some of her men who shot you and tried to kill Reid"

"Why?"

Hotch shrugged his shoulders as Rossi answered, "All we could figure was that Doyle was trying to make Emily suffer…in the worst ways possible. He had to have watched all of us long enough to know who she was closest to…That's why you were the first target…Well that and you killed his son…and his brother"

Morgan stared at Rossi, "But…what about Reid? And the rest of you guys?"

"We think maybe Reid was chosen next because he's closest to JJ. Other than Garcia of course, which she pointed out, she is harder to get since she is cooped up at the BAU all day" said Hotch

"But Declan's birth mother? Really?"

Rossi nodded, "Yes and she is not the mothering type. I don't think there was a nice bone in her body"

"I thought she was dead?"

"Apparently Garcia had found the wrong woman. Declan's birth mother was named Chloe" Hotch stated

"But they are all going to be okay, right?" Morgan asked, growing more concerned about the family the longer they spoke

"We couldn't locate them for nearly three days. By the time…by the time we found them they were all in pretty bad shape" Hotch finally told the dark agent

Morgan swallowed, "How bad of shape Hotch?"

Hotch closed his eyes and Rossi sighed, before the older man spoke up, "Henry is going to be okay. He's dehydrated, running a fever, and a little banged up, but the doctors said he should be fine in a couple of days"

When neither of the men continued on about the rest of the family, Morgan grew more frustrated, throwing the sheet off of him and swinging his legs out over the edge of the bed. As he stood up, he winced in pain from the movement of his shoulder which traveled to his chest.

"What are doing?" Rossi questioned rushing to the dark agent's side

"Get back in bed Morgan" Hotch said as he too moved towards him

Morgan shook his head, "No way. I want to see for myself that they are all okay"

"You can't do that" Rossi told him as he placed a gentle hand on Morgan's uninjured shoulder

The dark agent shrugged it off quickly as he looked from one man to the other, "Why not?"

"Because Emily, Declan, and Ethan are still in surgery. Henry and JJ are the only ones we've heard about and been able to see" Hotch finally informed him

Morgan's face fell, his features reflecting nothing but his sadness, "How long have they been in surgery?"

Hotch turned to look at the clock on the wall and sighed, "About six hours"

Morgan's eyes widened, "Hotch-"

The leader only nodded, "I know"

Morgan clenched his lips together as he slowly dropped his gaze to the floor, trying to fight back the tears, before looking back up, "JJ?"

"She's in pretty bad shape. They had to put her in a medical coma because there was so much swelling in her brain. She was beaten pretty badly and shot"

The dark agent's eyes widened again but Rossi answered the silent question quickly, "The bullet went clean through her side, the doctors practically said that was the least of their concern"

Morgan nodded and sat back on the edge of his bed carefully as he stared once again at the floor before bringing his eyes up to rest on the sleeping form of Reid in the bed a few feet from his own.

"How bad is he?" Morgan asked as he continued to stare at the young genius

"He has some broken ribs, a broken leg, a concussion, and he had some internal bleeding caused from one of his ribs puncturing his lung"

Morgan's eyes went wide once again as he turned from the younger agent to look at their team leader who immediately began to inform Morgan that Reid was doing better.

"Morgan the doctors said he's doing much better. The swelling in his brain went down and his lung has stabilized. So far it's looking good."

"But he hasn't woken up yet?"

"No, not yet"

The three men were silent for a few minutes before Morgan pushed himself off of the bed once again, nearly ripping out his IV's as he did.

"Morgan get back in bed" Hotch told the dark agent

"No. I want to see JJ and Henry" he said looking from Hotch to Rossi

When neither man made a move to stop him, the dark agent grabbed the fluid bag stand and began to pull it with his good arm.

"Morgan you need to rest" Hotch tried to point out

"The HELL I do" Morgan practically yelled, "I've been RESTING for the last four days. I NEED to see them. I have to"

The three men were in a stare down before a nurse came into the room to see what all of the yelling was about.

"Sir you need to get back in bed" she said as she hurried over to Morgan

As she tried to guide him back to bed, he shrugged away from her, "I'm not getting back in that damn bed until I see JJ and Henry"

"Morgan" Hotch tried again in a stern voice

"NO"

"Could you guys…keep it…down. My head is…killing…me" Reid said, taking in short breaths, his eyes still closed

"REID?" Morgan said loudly as he made his way towards the younger man

The nurse had abandoned Morgan the minute she realized the other man had woken up. Reid was now surrounded by his three male team members and a nurse, who called for a doctor.

"Reid?" Hotch questioned as he stood beside Morgan

"Hotch? Could you…take him…wherever…so that…he…will…shut up" Reid squeaked out again, earning grins from all three men in the room

"Sir I need you to keep quiet until the doctor gets in here to examine you. It might not be safe for you to be talking yet" the nurse told Reid

The young doctor finally opened his eyes carefully, finding three of his team mates smiling at him, as well as one very worried looking nurse.

A couple minutes later a doctor came in and asked everyone to step aside so that he could examine the younger agent. After a few minutes the doctor filled them in on Reid's updated condition.

"He seems to be doing fairly well, considering. However, it's best for now if he doesn't talk unless absolutely necessary. We need his lung to be able have the best chance at healing and talking takes a lot of effort. It's going to be twice as hard on him because he really only has one operating lung right now. And breathing is difficult enough, without adding the talking to the mix"

The three men listened intently and nodded their heads at their understanding.

"But he's going to be okay?" Hotch questioned

The doctor smiled, "It looks that way. He still has quite a road ahead, but this is a good sign"

"Thank you" Rossi responded

The doctor nodded before turning his attention to Morgan, "And you Agent Morgan should be in bed"

"I am not getting back in that bed until I can go see my friends and make sure they are okay" he told the doctor matter of factly

The doctor turned from the dark agent to the other two men who just shrugged. Then he turned back to Morgan, "And where are they at?"

This time Morgan turned to his two team mates and Rossi answered, "One is on the pediatric floor, the other is in the ICU on the second floor"

The doctor looked at the three men, knowing he had heard some rumors about this FBI team and what they had all been through.

"Okay, but you have to stay in a wheelchair and you have to be back in this bed in one hour" the doctor said looking at all three men

The agents all nodded as a nurse brought the wheelchair over to Morgan, who immediately and carefully sat down, much to everyone's surprise, without arguing.

"What?" the dark agent questioned, "I'm not going to pass up an opportunity to see them. Now let's get going, I only have one hour"

Hotch began to push Morgan towards the doorway of the room, while Rossi stopped at Reid's bedside, "Glad your back with us kid. Get some rest. We will be back soon"

Reid nodded slightly before closing his eyes and succumbing to slumber once again.

Hotch and Rossi wheeled Morgan to the elevator, taking him to the second floor first to see JJ. Only one other person was allowed to go in with Morgan, so Hotch volunteered. Rossi sat down in some chairs in the waiting area, before getting up and heading to the elevator, choosing instead to go up to the pediatric ward to sit with Henry.

Rossi found a book on the shelf in the seven year old's room and picked it up, examining the cover. He took it and walked back over to the bed, pulling a chair up next to it. He lifted his hand, reaching over and brushing some of the long blonde hair out of Henry's face. He noticed that the boy's wrists were now bandaged, most likely holding medication against the cuts he had on his wrists. The nurses had said something to them about switching between ice packs and wraps with medication on them to help soothe the cuts and bruises. Then he bent down and kissed the small boy on the forehead, whispering, "I love you little Jareau"

Then smiling down at the boy he said in Italian, "Mi manchi. Meglio prima," knowing that Emily had been teaching the young boy bits and pieces of Italian.

The older man then sat down in the chair and opened the book before looking back up at Henry, "I'm not making any promises on this book little man, but it's all I got right now and I figured you could use a familiar voice"

With that said, Rossi began reading the book to the boy, trying to ease his own worry about the rest of the seven year olds family.

Meanwhile Hotch had wheeled Morgan into JJ's room. The dark agent fought back tears as he looked at his friend laying there, covered in cuts and bruises. He reached out and gently took the blonde's hand in his, before bringing it to his lips and kissing the back of it.

"JJ I'm so sorry…I wish I could have been there to help" he whispered

"It wasn't your fault Morgan" Hotch told him as he moved to stand beside the dark agent

"Yeah but while all of this was happening to them I was just lying in a hospital"

"Because you had been shot Morgan. There was nothing you could have done. And you being with us wouldn't have changed anything. They still would have been taken. There was no way to prevent this" Hotch said, forcing the last words out of his mouth, trying to make himself believe them

Morgan kept a hold on JJ's hand as he turned to look at their team leader, "Do you really believe that Hotch?"

The slightly older man was quiet for a moment before he looked at Morgan again. He sighed as he answered, "At this point I have to"

Morgan nodded before turning back to JJ. With his eyes solely focused on the blonde he said, "Could I have a few minutes alone with her?"

"Of course" the leader answered as he turned to step out of the room, choosing to watch his two agents through the large glass window

Morgan finally let a few tears fall down his cheeks as he continued to stare at the blonde lying on the bed in front of him.

"JJ you have to be okay. Do you hear me? You have to fight" he told her as he paused to take a deep breath, trying to prevent more tears from falling.

"You have to fight for your family. I don't think Emily will be able to survive without you. She barely made it through your ordeal last year" he told her as he thought about everything they had been through at that time

"I don't think the team can survive without you. You're the glue that holds us together. The mama bear of our family" he told her with a smile

"Everyone loves you so much. You always seem to find the good in people and always look for the positives in situations. And the fact that you never realize how amazing you are, is another reason that we all love you so much…You and Emily are alike in that way I guess. Neither one of you realizes just how amazing you both are. You are both so…humble"

Morgan sighed as he sat there in silence a moment, running his thumb across the back of JJ's hand in a soothing motion. He then looked up from their joined hands to stare intently at JJ again before he began speaking.

"And I don't know what I would do without you either Jareau. I know I don't say it enough…because like Emily, I'm not good with expressing my feelings all of the time…I think I've gotten better over the years" he sighed as he struggled to say the words he wanted to

"The bottom line is I love you…Truthfully I love everyone on this team, but that stays between you and me…I mean you're my Pennsylvania Petite" he said with a small smile, "And of course blondie…but only because I know it annoys you. And let's face it, I like to annoy you…I know, I know, I like to annoy everyone"

He sat back in silence again for a moment before Hotch came back into the room, "Sorry to interrupt, but if you want to go see Henry we should. You have to be back in your room soon"

Morgan turned and nodded at Hotch before turning back to JJ. He carefully stood up from his wheelchair and bent down to place a kiss on the blonde's forehead.

"Keep fighting blondie" he whispered before sitting back down in his wheelchair and finally releasing the woman's hand

Hotch then walked over to stand beside Morgan, looking down at JJ a moment, "I'll be back later, JJ, and tell you about everything going on" he told her as he gave her hand a slight squeeze

Then he turned and wheeled Morgan out of the room, out of ICU and back to the elevator. They arrived on the pediatric floor and Hotch could tell the dark agent was getting tired, but he also knew the younger man would not agree to go back to his room until he had seen for himself that Henry was okay.

Hotch wheeled the younger man into Henry's room, finding Rossi occupying the chair beside the young boy's bed, a book in his lap. The older man turned when Hotch and Morgan entered the room. He slowly stood up, walking over to the shelf and placing the book back where he had gotten it.

"Thought I would read him a story. Let him hear a familiar voice" Rossi said looking at the other two men in the room

Hotch and Morgan both nodded as Morgan responded, "He does love books"

"I would say that has a little something to do with Emily" Rossi stated with a smile, receiving nods from both of the other men

Hotch wheeled Morgan up next to Henry's bed before turning and following Rossi outside of the room to give the dark agent a few minutes alone with the boy. As Rossi and Hotch stood outside of the room, the older man looked intently at the team leader.

"Any word?" he asked

Hotch shook his head, "Not yet"

Rossi just nodded before saying, "I don't have to tell you how worried I am"

"I know, Dave, me too"

Meanwhile Morgan sat next to Henry's bed, his eyes scanning the small boy's body, taking in the bruises and cuts, especially around his wrists. The dark agent picked the blonde boy's hand up gently, inspecting the bruising and cuts. He sighed as he held the tiny hand in his much larger one before he began to speak.

"Hey H, it's Uncle Derek. I just want you to know I'm here for you little man. We all are. And we can't wait for you to wake up so that we can see your smile and hear your laugh."

Morgan continued to stare at the small blonde headed boy, realizing just how much he resembled JJ. Besides the obvious hair color, he also had her nose and her lips. The only real physical characteristic that he didn't share with her was his eyes. They were a light brown rather than JJ's bright blue. Morgan fought back the tears again as he thought about how much he wanted to see this little boy's eyes and his mothers.

The dark agent stood up out of his wheelchair and stepped closer to the bed, releasing Henry's hand so that he could brush his hand over the seven year olds hair. As he did, he felt how warm the boy's head was, remembering that he was running a fever. As he brushed more hair away from the boy's neck, he noticed to small puncture wounds. He stared at it for a second before realizing that it must have come from a tazer.

"Son of a bitch" Morgan said out loud

He looked back down at the sleeping child and his heart broke once again as the reality of everything that had happened over the last few days took effect once again.

Rossi and Hotch both entered the room quickly when they heard Morgan's little outburst.

"Morgan?" Hotch questioned as he raced to his side, glancing between him and small boy

The dark agent just shook his head, "I'm okay Hotch. I just saw the puncture wounds on Henry's neck" he said as he moved some of the boy's blonde hair again, so that the other two men could see, "He was tazered"

Rossi and Hotch both stared at the puncture marks, knowing the doctor had mentioned the fact that he had been tazered, but neither of the older men had noticed the marks until Morgan pointed them out.

"The doctor mentioned that had happened" Rossi stated

Morgan shook his head in anger, "Who tazers a seven year old?"

The other two men remained quiet as they stared down at the sleeping child, before Hotch spoke up again, "Morgan we should really get you back to your room now"

The dark agent nodded, bending down and kissing Henry's forehead as he said, "I'll be back soon little man"

Morgan then sat back down in his wheelchair and waited for Hotch or Rossi to push him back to his room. He watched as both older men bent down, placing a similar kiss to the boy's forehead, before Hotch grabbed the back of Morgan's wheelchair and began to wheel him back to the elevator.

Once they made it back to Morgan's floor, they helped him get situated back in bed.

"Guys you will let me know as soon as you hear something on Emily and the other two boys, right?" he questioned as he laid his head back on the pillow

"Sure kid" Rossi answered

Morgan nodded as his eyes slowly began to drift shut. The two older men looked at each other before checking in on Reid one more time. The young genius was still asleep so they left the room and headed back down to join Garcia, Kevin, and Jack in the waiting room.

When the two men walked back into the waiting room it was just after 3am. They found Jack asleep across a couple of chairs, his head on Garcia's lap. The technical analyst had her head on Kevin's shoulder, while he had his head leaning back against the wall, both of them fast asleep as well.

The two men made their way over to a couple of empty chairs and had just gotten comfortable when a doctor opened the door to the waiting room.

"Family of Ethan Prentiss?"

"That's us" Rossi answered as he and Hotch jumped out of their chairs, the noise waking Garcia and Kevin, who both took a moment to collect themselves

The doctor looked around the room and before he could ask the next question Hotch answered him, "We are all Ethan's family"

The doctor nodded before he began updating them on the eleven year olds condition.

"Ethan suffered a severe head injury. The main reason it was so severe is the fact that it appeared to of happened a couple of days ago. He lost a lot of blood from it, which is the biggest reason he was unconscious when you found him. We ran the CT scan and did the MRI and luckily his brain seems to be functioning fairly normal for the most part-"

"What do you mean for the most part?" Rossi questioned as he interrupted the doctor

"The boy had some brain swelling when we first ran some tests and while he was having the scans done he began seizing and then began vomiting" the doctor informed them

As he saw the concerned faces in the room he quickly continued, "He's okay and that is not uncommon for people with head injuries, especially in children. The problem is that he does have a severe concussion and usually we wake the patient up every fifteen or thirty minutes to make sure they are okay. And in his case that would be extremely important, especially since he's already exhibiting some of the side effects. However, with everything he has been through it's also possible those are side effects of the entire trauma he's endured over the last few days. Right now it's too early to tell and because of the severity of his injuries and the seizure he has already endured we thought it would be best to keep him unconscious, until the swelling in his brain goes down a little more"

"You mean he's in a medical induced coma?" Hotch asked looking at the doctor

The doctor tilted his head to the side, "Not necessarily. It's not as severe as a medical induced coma. But we keep drugs pumped into him so that he doesn't wake up until we are ready for him to. However, there is still the chance that his brain will be working more than we want it too. If that becomes the case and he begins fighting against being unconscious then we will have to put him in a medical induced coma. We don't want his brain working too much until the swelling goes down, but we also don't like to put children in medical coma's unless absolutely necessary"

The two older men nodded, as Garcia and Kevin listened intently, the blonde analyst letting tears roll freely down her cheeks.

"Other than that, how is he?" Hotch asked

"He is severely dehydrated so we have fluids pumping into him to replace the lost fluids and electrolytes. He has several bruises and cuts across different parts of his body. Several of the bruises form the imprint of a hand" the doctor said pausing to look at the adults in the room and making sure the young boy in the room was still asleep

"He was definitely manhandled, no question about it. He was also tazered several times-"

"Several?" Rossi interrupted

The doctor nodded, "We found three separate pairs of puncture wounds that would be a match to a tazer. Two separate ones on his neck area and another along his jaw and neck area"

"He was probably trying to fight them when that one happened" Rossi stated

Hotch nodded, adding, "They just hit whatever area they could get to the quickest and easiest"

The doctor nodded, "He definitely has some bruising and cuts that look consistent with defending himself"

The two older men smiled slightly as Hotch said, "Like mother like son"

Rossi nodded, "Definitely Emily's son"

There was a moment of silence before Hotch asked, "What are the side effects of someone his age being tazered that many times?"

The doctor sighed before answering, "Well it really depends on the child. He has been through a lot and his body is weak and rundown. The tazering just adds to the weakening of the body, especially since he's smaller for his age and the fact that it happened three times to him. His muscles are worn out, but then again his entire body is worn out and weak"

The adults in the room all nodded in understanding before the doctor continued, "He also has some bruising and cuts around his wrists from some kind of restraints"

"Duct tape" Hotch stated out loud

The doctor was silent for a moment before he continued, "He also had severe bruising across his stomach and when we ran the scans we found that he was bleeding internally. That's why it took us so long. We had to find the source of the bleeding and after the MRI we found that his spleen had ruptured, most likely from the blow he took to his rib cage. We had to rush him into surgery to repair it and drain the blood"

At more worried looks from the agents in the room the doctor hurried, "The surgery went fine and he should heal up quite nicely"

There were collective sighs throughout the room, thankful that there was one less thing to worry about with the eleven year old.

"He does also have some severely bruised ribs, as well as one fractured rib, but those are the least of our concerns right now. Like I said earlier we just want to keep an eye on his brain swelling. However, once we are able to wake him back up he will be in a lot of pain"

Rossi and Hotch both nodded to the doctor knowingly before Hotch asked, "Can we see him?"

The doctor nodded, "Of course. He's in the pediatric ICU on the fourth floor. Only two at a time and no children"

"We know. Thank you doctor" Hotch responded

The doctor turned to leave the waiting room but stopped and turned back around, "Oh and one more thing. Patients who are unconscious or in a coma can hear what people in the room are saying. So I recommend you guys talking to him as much as possible so that he can hear familiar voices. However, I don't recommend encouraging him to wake up on his own due to everything I told you previously. Instead I would encourage him to relax and rest as much as possible. Help him relax the best that he can"

The two older men nodded before the doctor finally left the waiting room. Then Rossi turned to Hotch, "That's easier said than done"

The leader nodded in agreement, "Ya if he will be able to hear all of our voices, but never gets to hear JJ or Emily's voice I don't-"

"Aaron let's think positively" Rossi replied cutting him off

The two men looked at each other before turning back to Garcia and Kevin, who were still sitting down, Jack still asleep with his head on the analyst lap.

"Do you two want to go in first?" Hotch asked as he looked at the couple

Garcia shook her head as she fought to keep the tears at bay. Kevin looked at his girlfriend and then spoke up, "You two go ahead. I think we just need a few moments to regain ourselves"

Hotch nodded before he turned and followed Rossi out of the waiting room. They got into the elevator once again and headed up to the pediatric floor in silence.

They got off the elevator and headed down the hall to the pediatric ICU, both men trying to brace themselves for what they might see. They were guided to Ethan's room by a nurse, before she turned and went back to her desk to keep an eye on the many monitors. The two men looked at each other and took a deep breath before walking into the eleven year olds room.

Both Hotch and Rossi nearly stopped dead in their tracks at the sight of the young brunette boy. He was lying in the bed and looked like he was sleeping peacefully. But one look at his battered body told a very different story. He had bandages wrapped completely around his head, the area along the right side of his head more heavily bandaged, where it was obvious the wound was.

As the older man walked around to the other side of Ethan's bed, Hotch stepped up closer to the side he was on. Both men took in the bruises marring the young boy's body, specifically the handprint bruises on his chin and cheeks from someone grabbing him. Like Henry, he had cuts and bruises around his wrists from the duct tape, while they weren't quite as bad as the seven year olds, they were still fairly severe.

Hotch was the first one to reach up and try to move some of the long dark hair away from Ethan's neck. As he did Rossi leaned over slightly and both men spotted the puncture wounds that were obviously from a tazer. Both men looked at each other, anger written across their faces. They stood back up, looking at the wires and IV's that were connected to the normally active eleven year old. Then the two men each took one of the boy's hands in their own, noting the bruising across some of Ethan's knuckles, that were consistent with fighting back.

They were silent for a moment before Rossi spoke up, "Hey kid, it's Uncle Dave…or Grandpa Dave as you like to call me because you know it strikes a nerve"

Both men let out a smile at Rossi's words before the older man continued, "But between me and you, I like the fact that you call me that…because I do think of you as a grandkid…occasionally"

He paused long enough to give Hotch a stern glare before looking back down at the eleven year old, "We are all here kid. And all of you are going to be okay, we know it. But you have to do us a favor and not try to fight anything right now. The doctors said it was important that you just rest and let them take care of everything"

He smiled down at the boy before Hotch began speaking, "Hey Ethan, I'm here too. And Jack is downstairs in the waiting room. He refused to leave until he knew you were going to be okay. Although I doubt he's going to leave this hospital until he sees for himself that you're okay…I guess that means I'm going to be sneaking in my kid to see you later…and surprisingly I'm okay with that"

The two older men stood there in silence for a few minutes before Hotch spoke up again, "I'm glad your okay buddy. We were all very worried about you guys"

"Scared shitless" Rossi stated

"Dave" Hotch exclaimed

"What? He wouldn't expect anything less…from me or Emily" the older man pointed out

Hotch shook his head just before Ethan's heart rate went up. The two men looked at each other before a nurse came running in.

"What happened?" she asked as she began checking his vitals

"Nothing. We were just talking to him" Hotch answered as he was pushed out of the way by the nurse

"Well you said something to cause his heart rate to go up" she pointed out

"His mother. We mentioned his mother" Rossi stated as he looked at Hotch

The older man then took Ethan's hand and squeezed gently, "Hey kiddo, it's okay. Your mom is okay, alright. And as soon as she is able to, she will be in here to talk to you also. But right now you need to calm down and relax"

Almost immediately Ethan's heart rate began to slow down. Hotch and Rossi both let out a sigh of relief, while the nurse turned to look at both men.

"I think you two should wrap it up. He needs his rest"

Both men nodded as she left the room.

"Good catch Dave" Hotch told him sincerely

The older man only nodded as he looked back down at the young boy, his large hand still holding to Ethan's smaller one. Both men were silent for a moment as they stared down at the eleven year old boy. Rossi was taking in Ethan's physical features, easily imagining what Emily would have looked like at Ethan's age. The older man let out a smile before saying.

"He has Emily's eyelashes"

"What?" Hotch questioned, not sure he heard the other man correctly

"Ethan. He has Emily's eyelashes" the older man repeated

Hotch looked from Rossi back down to the brunette boy who shared so many characteristics with his mother. The leader nodded as he noticed the boy's long, dark lashes.

"I think someone pointed that out a few years ago too" said Hotch

Rossi nodded, "I vaguely remember, but looking at him while he's sleeping like this. I really noticed them"

"Probably another reason why Morgan calls him pretty boy junior" Hotch said with a slight smile

The older man let out a smile as well as they looked down at the normally vibrant youngster. He said a silent prayer for the boy before speaking again.

"I love you kiddo. You get some rest so you can start teasing me about being Grandpa Dave again" he told the boy with a smile, before leaning down and brushing his hand over the top of Ethan's hair, where it wasn't wrapped in a bandage. Then he planted a kiss to the top of his head before placing another one on his cheek.

"I'll be back soon and I'll bring a book" he told the youngster before turning and heading out of the room

Instead of leaving completely, Rossi stood right outside the doorway and listened to Hotch as he spoke to Ethan.

Hotch stared down at the eleven year old boy, who had become his son's best friend almost instantaneously. Much like his mother, he had a way with people, young and old. His sense of humor, quick wit, stylish way of dressing, and incredibly loving personality are just a few things that set him apart from other kids his age. Jack and Ethan had formed a bond long ago and Hotch would be forever thankful for that. The team would sometimes joke that he had been born in the wrong time period, which they sometimes teased both Emily and Reid about as well, but in the end they knew that Ethan was just one of those kids with an old soul.

Hotch smiled down at the brunette boy, "Ethan I just want you to know that you mean so much to me…and Jack. I can never thank you enough for becoming such a good friend to him. I know that you would just shake your head and say that it works both ways, which I suppose is true. But then there's also the fact that you can be incredibly humble sometimes, so while you can't deny anything I'm thanking you. But while thanking you, I'm also going to tell you that you have to be okay because I don't know what Jack would do without you…I don't know what any of us would do. However, you can't regain your consciousness until the doctor tells you it's okay. So no fighting to open your eyes. This time you need to just rest and let your body heal"

Hotch paused, staring down at the young boy before relaying the rest of his feelings, "I know I have told you this before, but I feel like I don't say it enough…I love you Ethan Prentiss. You are an amazing kid who is growing into an even more amazing young man and anyone would be proud to call you their son. Lucky for us you belong to our crazy, dysfunctional family…and I wouldn't have it any other way"

Hotch squeezed the boy's hand one last time before adding, "I better go before the nurse comes in and chases me off. But Garcia and Kevin will be in here in a bit. You're going to have to do your best not to react to her crying. She was just so worried about you guys and she's still a bit emotional. But we all need you to just relax and rest, no increasing your heart rate, alright young man"

The team leader then bent down and kissed Ethan lightly on the cheek before releasing his hold on the young boy's hand. Then he turned and walked out of the room, finding Rossi waiting in the hall. Together the two men made their way back down to the waiting room, where Garcia had managed to get up without disturbing Jack and was standing impatiently with Kevin.

"How's my brunette munchkin?" Garcia asked as soon as the two older men came back into the waiting room

"As good as can be expected" answered Rossi

"Like the doctor said he has several cuts and bruises and his head is bandaged all around" Hotch told her

"Oh my God" the analyst replied, fighting back the next wave of tears

"Garcia you're going to have to be strong when you're in there. He can hear everything you are saying, just as the doctor told us. We mentioned Emily and his heart rate shot up. So whatever you do in there, be careful what you talk to him about…Otherwise just talk to him the way you usually do" said Hotch

The blonde analyst nodded before she and Kevin made their way out of the waiting room in search of Ethan.

A few minutes after they couple had left the waiting room, Jack began to stir on the chairs he was laying across. He opened his eyes, blinking a few times trying to remember where he was.

"Dad?" he questioned as he slowly sat up, rubbing his eyes as he did

Hotch turned at the sound of his son's voice and saw the near eleven year old sitting up looking at him questioningly.

"Hey bud" the man said as he walked over to the boy

"Where's Aunt Pen?" he asked looking around the room

Hotch sat down in the vacant seat next to Jack before looking into his son's brown eyes, "They went up to see Ethan"

Jack's eyes immediately lit up, "He's out of surgery? Is he awake? Can I see him?"

"Whoa, slow down Jack" Hotch told him as he placed a hand on his son's knee, "Yes he's out of surgery, but he's still unconscious and probably will be for a couple of days. He was hurt pretty bad, but the doctors think he's going to be okay"

Jack stared at his dad and listened intently as he was filled in on his best friend's condition before asking the next question, "But can I see him?"

Hotch frowned slightly as he shook his head, "Unfortunately, no. He's in Intensive Care and-"

"They don't let kids in there…I know" the boy said finishing his father's sentence

They sat in silence a moment. Hotch squeezed his son's knee before moving his hand up to Jack's shoulder and giving it a squeeze.

Eventually Jack looked up at his dad, tears brimming in his brown eyes, "Is he really going to be okay?"

Hotch looked into his son's sad eyes and his heart broke, "I can't make any promises Jack. But I think that he is going to be okay"

The boy nodded slightly before leaning into his father as Hotch wrapped an arm around him, pulling him closer.

"I love you buddy" Hotch told his son

"I love you too dad" Jack replied

Meanwhile, Garcia and Kevin were in Ethan's room and the blonde woman was doing her best to keep it together.

"Oh my mini E" the analyst said as she held the brunette boy's hand in her own, "You Prentiss' just don't know how to stay out of trouble. I don't think I can take much more of this. I just love you all so much"

Kevin laid a comforting hand on her shoulder as his girlfriend continued to talk to the small boy that she had fallen so madly in love with.

"But the doctor said that you are going to be just fine. You just need to rest up. So you do that. Because as soon as he gives you the all clear I want to hear your voice, cracking jokes and singing to me" she told Ethan with a smile

The blonde analyst then bent down and placed a kiss to the boy's cheek, before placing another one on his lips.

"I love you little E. I'll come back to see you in a bit" she said before she and Kevin turned to leave the room

Back in the waiting room Jack sat up and turned to look at his dad again, "I want to see him dad. I have too. I know I'm not supposed to but-"

"Jack" his father said, cutting him off

As the boy was about to open his mouth again, Hotch stopped him, "I figured you would feel that way. We need to wait until shift change, which is at 6am. They will be more distracted then and I will sneak you in"

The youngster was caught off guard for a moment as he stared at his dad, "Really?"

Hotch nodded, "This is…the circumstances…I know you won't leave here until you can at least see that some of them are alright…And Ethan is your best friend"

"Thanks dad" Jack responded, throwing his arms around his father's waist

"What time is it?" the boy asked as he pulled away

"Just after 4" Rossi answered, looking over at the two Hotchner's

Jack nodded and let out a small smile at the older man. Rossi smiled back before nodding in the direction of Jack's backpack.

"I'm guessing there might be some comic's in the backpack" he said looking back at Jack, "Ethan would probably like it if you read one to him"

Jack smiled bigger this time, "You're right Uncle Dave"

Rossi smiled back at the young boy as he watched him get up and go over to his backpack, rummaging through it to find the comic book he thought Ethan would enjoy. As he was still searching his backpack Kevin and Garcia came back into the waiting room. Before the blonde analyst sat back down in a chair she walked over to Jack, who was still kneeling on the floor looking through his backpack, and kissed him on the top of the head, while hugging him tightly.

"Aunt Pen I can't breathe" he squeaked out

"Sorry little Hotchner, I just love you so much" she told him with a sad smile

"I love you too Aunt Pen" he replied as he looked up at her, "Don't worry. It's gonna be okay"

All of the adults smiled at the boy, knowing he was trying to tell himself the same thing. Just as he pulled out the comic he was looking for the door swung open again, revealing another doctor.

"Emily Prentiss" she questioned looking around the room

"That's us" Rossi answered as everyone, including Jack, jumped up

"Okay" the doctor said as she looked around the room, "Well Ms Prentiss-"

"Agent Prentiss" Hotch corrected

The doctor turned to Hotch and nodded, "Right. Sorry… Agent Prentiss has suffered some extensive injuries. First off she has some severe cuts and bruises over her entire body and most of the cuts required stitches. She has a concussion from the many blows to her face and head that she endured. She has two broken ribs and a cracked rib on her left side and her right cheekbone was fractured"

The doctor took a moment to inspect the group's facial expressions and could see the worry written across all of them.

"She has some of the most severe bruising across her stomach and ribs which caused some internal injuries as well. We ran several tests when we realized that she was bleeding internally and found some severe damage to one of her kidneys resulting from the beatings that she had received. We had to remove part of that kidney-"

"Oh my God" Garcia said out loud

"Don't worry, she will be able to function just fine without part of it. The surgery for that went fine and once we were able to locate where the bleeding was coming from she responded much better and we were able to get her to respond to the drugs we were giving her. We rushed her right in to surgery as soon as we determined it was her kidney"

The doctor paused again and looked around the room before continuing, "I should let you know that as we were rushing her into surgery we lost her twice"

"What?" Hotch questioned first

"She flat lined on us twice on the way to the OR-"

"Oh my God" Garicia cried as tears began streaming down her face

Jack looked from the doctor to Garcia and then up at his father, who also looked like he was going to cry. The young boy then began to let his tears freely fall down his face before the doctor began speaking again.

"We lost her for two minutes on the table, but were able to revive her and bring her back and like I said the surgery went well"

"Really?" Hotch asked nervously, wanting the doctor to reaffirm what she had said

The doctor smiled and nodded, "Yes"

Collective sighs were released around the room and Jack moved closer to his father.

Rossi noticed the look on the doctor's face, asking, "That's not it, is it doc?"

She shook her head as she began relaying the rest of the information.

"Agent Prentiss also came in with some severe knife wounds and bullet wounds"

Hotch and Rossi nodded, remembering the wounds they both saw encompassing her body.

"The GSW to her upper left arm went clean through, which is good, and the other GSW to her top right shoulder was more of a graze. It did take off a lot of flesh, but both areas should heal nicely"

The adults continued to listen intently as Jack leaned into his father's side while the doctor talked.

"The knife wounds on the other hand, were both infected. We cleaned her leg up the best we could and are pumping antibiotics into her system around the clock, but we are hoping it should heal just fine"

"Oh God" this time it was Rossi uttering out the words as the shock hit all of them

"I have high hopes for her, she seems like a fighter" the doctor stated

"She is" Hotch replied, his voice cracking

The doctor nodded, "As for her hand, some tendons were damaged when she was stabbed, and it is infected also. We repaired the tendons surgically and hopefully the antibiotics will kick in and it will heal up nicely. She also has two broken fingers on that hand"

"However, whatever was used to stab her hand was most likely rusted. The most severe infection came from that area. The problem with this type of infection is that we can't always heal it with antibiotics, especially if the infection has already spread to her bloodstream, which in this case it has. There's also the possibility that if her body doesn't respond to the antibiotics we may have to amputate her hand"

"What?" Rossi questioned, fear and anger evident in his voice

"I'm not giving up on her that easily. And the amputation is a last resort. At this time all we can do is wait and let her body do what it needs to"

There were collective gasps around the room as everyone soaked in this new piece of information. No matter what the outcome to all of this was, the possibility of this team ever being the same was highly unlikely.

The team leader nodded as he looked from the doctor down to his son, whom he wrapped a protective arm around. Jack looked up at him with tears still running down his face.

"Her upper right arm was also sliced open pretty well with a knife, but we were able to stitch it up and it should heal just fine"

"When will she wake up?" Rossi asked, looking at the doctor, tears still fresh in his eyes

"Right now that's up to her. She's unconscious and on some very strong pain meds and antibiotics. We are also pumping in a lot of fluids because she was dehydrated. We've done all we can. The rest is up to her"

"Can I speak with you out in the hall for a second?" Rossi asked the doctor

She nodded and turned to walk out into the hall, the older man following her. Once they were safely in the hall Rossi looked the doctor in the eyes.

"Tell me the truth doc. What are her chances?" the older man asked

"Sir-"

"No, doctor, I need to know the truth" Rossi stated, "That woman…Agent Prentiss…she is like a daughter to me…I have to know the truth"

The doctor nodded, "I'm speaking truthfully when I say we have done all we can for her. As of now, the rest is up to her. So you better hope and pray that she has the willpower to fight for her life. She's going to need all the prayers she can get."

Rossi nodded, "What are the odds of her hand having to be amputated?"

The doctor shrugged, "That's hard to say. As long as her body doesn't reject the antibiotics, which it hasn't so far, she should be fine. But she has quite a road of recovery ahead of her"

Rossi nodded again, "Well she's one of the strongest women I've ever met…And she's been through hell too many times to count…I have a lot of faith in her"

The doctor smiled with a nod, "She in ICU at the end of the hall-"

"We know. Her wife is in there too" the older man stated, earning a sad nod from the doctor before she turned and walked away

Rossi went back into the waiting room, receiving a raised eyebrow from Hotch.

"I was just asking him when we could see her. She's in ICU down the hall. Same as JJ" the older man stated

Hotch nodded before looking down at Jack, "Hey buddy, I'm going to go check on Emily, okay. Are you going to be alright here?"

The boy nodded as he wiped some stray tears from his cheeks, "Will you give Aunt Em a kiss for me?"

Hotch smiled slightly with a nod, "Of course buddy"

He gave his son's shoulder one last squeeze before looking over at Garcia and Kevin, "We'll be right back"

Garcia and Kevin both nodded before Hotch turned and followed Rossi out into the hallway, making their way down to ICU.

"Dave what did you really talk to the doctor about?" the team leader questioned

"Her prognosis" he answered bluntly

"And?"

"And pretty much the rest is up to her Aaron. But she's strong. We all know that"

"Are you trying to convince me or you?"

"Both" the older man stated

As they made their way into ICU, once again, and found Emily's room, both men took a deep breath as they stared at their brunette friend through the glass. When they entered her room Rossi didn't stop the few tears that slid down his cheeks as he made his way around her bed. He gently lifted Emily's smaller right hand into his and squeezed it lightly, noting the bruising and cuts around that wrist and her knuckles. Hotch occupied the other side of the bed as he scooted closer to the brunettes bed and both men took in her appearance.

The normally strong and stoic woman that they knew and loved looked broken. The men noticed the cut above her right eye which was stitched up, along with her fractured right cheekbone with a deep gash across it as well. They also saw the swollen and bruised left cheek as well as the swelling and discoloration on the left side of her face and temple area. Her left eye was almost completely black and swollen, with a deep cut just below her eye. There was also a cut across her forehead where it looked like she had slammed her head into something, possibly another person's forehead.

As the men trailed their eyes down the brunette woman's face, they noticed her split lips and bruise forming off of her bottom lip. Her chin had a gash across it that was surround by bruising and as they looked at her neck both men saw the bruises that were shaped like handprints from someone trying to strangle her. Both men gritted their teeth in anger as they stared at the bruising on the brunette's neck, as well as the cut along the left side of her neck, which both men guessed was from the blade of a knife. But as Rossi stared down at Emily's neck, he noticed some other markings on the right side. He bent down to get a closer look when he realized what the marks were.

"Holy shit" the older man stated in an angry tone

"What?" Hotch questioned in a concerned tone as he leaned over Emily slightly to get a better look at what Rossi was staring at. As he did, his eyes grew wide.

"Are those…bite marks?" the team leader questioned before looking up at Rossi who was still staring at the brunette's neck

"Dave" Hotch said again as he tried to get the older man's attention

"What the hell Aaron. He fuckin bit her…badly" Rossi stated as he stared at the teeth indentions and bruising, that was slightly swelled up

Hotch nodded as he tried to maintain what little composure he had left at this point, "Well I'm sure that's because Emily was getting the best of him and that's the only means of fighting back he had"

The older man tore his gaze away from Emily to stare across at his longtime friend, his eyes cold, dark, and hurt, "Are you defending what he did?"

"What? Dave, of course not" Hotch said as he looked at his friend, "I'm saying that Prentiss was obviously beating the shit out of Doyle, which he completely deserved"

Rossi began to visibly relax, "Right. Sorry. I'm just a little-"

"Dave you don't have to apologize. I understand. We are all worried and on edge"

The older man nodded before looking back down at the brunette woman, Hotch doing the same. The two men took in the bandage across the top of her right shoulder. Her hospital gown was loosely attached and was hanging slightly off that shoulder to accommodate for the bandage that was covering the top of her shoulder. Her upper right arm, a few inches below her shoulder was also wrapped in bandages from where she had been cut with a knife. Her upper left arm, a few inches above her elbow, was wrapped all the way around in bandages from where she had been shot clean through. The men also noticed at this time the bruises that were covering her arms, from hits she had obviously sustained. But also some that were in the shape of handprints from where she had been grabbed forcefully. Both men seemed to have sighed at the same time before Rossi looked up at Hotch, worry across his older features.

"Dave?" Hotch questioned as he looked worriedly at his friend

"Aaron, the doctors…did they…did they check for signs of…abuse?"

Hotch's face immediately etched into worry as well as he tried to think back to everything the doctors had said.

"I don't know" the leader answered truthfully

"Aaron we both know what these men were capable of by taking a look at our team. And they not only tried to kill off our team, but they went after the kids and look what they did to them. I don't want to be the one to say it, but-"

"There's a slim chance that nothing more than these beatings happened to them" Hotch finished, the fear evident in his voice

"I'll go find a nurse and ask her to get me the information" Hotch said as he looked down at Emily one more time, before turning and heading out of the room, to the nurses' station in the middle of ICU

As soon as Hotch left the room, Rossi began to let the tears freely fall. He looked down at the brunette woman and didn't see a team mate, he saw a daughter, and his heart was breaking more than he ever thought it possibly could again. He held onto her right hand, picking it up gently and kissing the back of it. He looked at her other hand that was wrapped in bandages, a brace keeping it stable, two of her fingers splinted from being broken. Then he looked down at her left leg, which was elevated, her thigh wrapped in bandages. She had a blanket covering her torso and her right leg, but her left leg was exposed so he could clearly see the bandages wrapped around it, along with a little blood that was starting to seep through.

He blinked away more tears as he bent down and kissed Emily on the forehead, brushing some of her long bangs off to the side.

"You listen to me Emily Prentiss. You better put your stubborn body to work and come back to us as soon as possible. I'm not attending another one of your funerals, especially if it would be real this time. Fathers aren't supposed to outlive their children" he said with a slight smile as he thought about what her smartass reaction might be

"That's right. You heard me. The only thing I could think about when you were missing is that…I wasn't missing a team mate…I was missing a daughter. I know I've said it before, but I don't say it that often…or not often enough in my book…and sometimes it comes out more as a joke…but…I don't mean it as a joke"

The older man took a breath before continuing, "You know I already outlived one of my children…You're one of the few people who know about my son…And Emily, I refuse to outlive you too. I love you too much…This team loves you too much. And you have four kids and a wife who wouldn't be able to live without you"

The heart monitor attached to Emily began beeping more rapidly when Rossi mentioned JJ and the kids. He squeezed her hand slightly and smiled.

"That's right, sweetie, your family needs you. But don't worry, they are all okay. They are currently occupying rooms in this very hospital, but they're okay." He told her reassuringly, even though there was still no word on Declan

The nurse came into the room, Hotch hot on her heels, just as Emily's heart rate dropped back down to normal.

"What happened?" the nurse questioned as she checked the machine before looking at the patient and then at the older man standing beside the bed

"I just mentioned her family" he said nonchalantly

The nurse glared slightly at the older man, knowing they were all FBI agents, "Well you really shouldn't get her worked up like that"

Rossi just smiled and shrugged, "She's a fighter. And she wouldn't have it any other way"

Hotch rolled his eyes, but smiled slightly before the nurse turned to glare at him as well. The team leader threw up his hands in defense, "Hey, he's right. She would want him to do that"

"You two need to wrap it up so that she can rest" the nurse told them before turning and leaving the room

Hotch then raised his eyebrow at Rossi, who shrugged.

"She was just like Ethan. I mentioned JJ and the kids to her and her heart rate immediately increased"

"Of course it did"

"What did the nurse say?" Rossi asked as he looked intently at Hotch

"She read both Prentiss and JJ's report. They did do an exam, but no penetration was found" replied the team leader as he winced slightly at his choice of words

"I hate those words…and the fact that we are using them in regards to Emily and JJ" the older man stated angrily

"I know"

"And just because there wasn't signs of penetration doesn't mean-"

"That they were sexually assaulted…I know Dave"

The two men looked back down at the brunette woman. Between the three women on this team, they had wormed their way into every one of the strong male agent's hearts, and each woman knew that.

"We should probably go so that Garcia and Kevin can come in" Hotch suggested

Rossi nodded as he continued to look at Emily, "You hurry back to us kid, I miss your sarcastic sense of humor. And with you and Reid out right now nobody is spouting out random facts to us. It's kind of boring"

Hotch smiled at that because it was so true. He watched as Rossi leaned down and planted another kiss to Emily's cheek.

"I love you kiddo" the older man said as he turned to walk out, leaving Hotch to have a private moment with the woman

The leader stepped up to stand where Rossi had been standing just a few moments ago. His hand reached and found the brunettes, squeezing it gently.

"Prentiss…Emily you better fight. You know ten years ago when you showed up in my office I was not happy about it. And if you would have told me then that a few years later I would come to respect and trust you as much as I did, I wouldn't have believed you. But more than that if you would have told me that ten years later you would still be on the team, that you would become more than _just_ a coworker, that we would become a family and that our sons would become best friends, I would have probably laughed in your face…I know I don't laugh that much" Hotch said with a slight smile as he stared down at the woman who had wormed her way into the hearts of everyone on the team in almost no time at all…well except for his. But she was definitely in his heart now and he didn't know if he or anyone else on the team could live without her now. And the same went for JJ…and pretty much the whole damn team.

"I like to think I have gotten better with my laughing…and smiling. I've been trying not to take _everything _so seriously _all_ the time" he told her as he squeezed her hand again

He sighed as he looked down at their hands before speaking up again, "I'm probably only going to say this once, so you better be listening…I love you Emily Prentiss…you and JJ are the sisters that I never got to have. My son adores both of you and I cannot thank you enough for treating him as part of your family…treating him like another son…He loves both of you so much"

The normally stoic leader felt the tears begin to escape down his cheeks, so he cleared his throat and squeezed the brunettes hand one last time, "Get better quickly Prentiss. I need your witty sense of humor back around. I'm going to go so that Garcia and Kevin can come bug you. You might wake up just to keep her quiet, because you know she is going to lose it when she comes in here"

He finished the last sentence with a smile as he thought about the bubbly blonde hovering. Then he bent down saying, "This is from me and Jack" before kissing her gently on the forehead.

Hotch then released the brunettes hand and turned to head out of the room, falling into step beside Rossi as they made their way back to the waiting room.

When they returned to the waiting room Garcia immediately shot out of her seat, "How is my raven haired beauty?"

Rossi and Hotch both let out a slight smile at Garcia's nickname for Emily, before the older man answered, "Well I mentioned JJ and the kids and her heart rate increased, so she's definitely still fighting"

"Of course she is" the eclectic blonde replied, "I meant how is she?"

"She was beaten up pretty good Garcia. So don't be shocked by what you see. Just like with JJ. This family went through hell and you can tell" stated Hotch

Garcia nodded slightly, "Right"

With that Kevin and Garcia made their way out of the room and down the hall to ICU. As soon as the normally bubbly blonde saw Emily through the window, tears began to stream down her face. She entered the room and grabbed the brunette's right hand, squeezing it gently.

"Oh my raven haired beauty I can't let you go anywhere without getting into trouble" she said as she let the tears fall freely down her face as she took in her friends many injuries

"I just love you so much Emily Prentiss and I can't lose you again…I had a hard enough time before and you weren't even really dead…I can't do that again…and know it was real. And I refuse to watch your kids grow up without you. Do you hear me E?"

She and Kevin stayed a little bit longer before leaving the brunette to sleep. They stopped by JJ's room one more time just to check in on her and noticed how peaceful she appeared, even though her injuries told a different story.

Once Kevin and Garcia made it back to the waiting room they found a doctor speaking with Hotch and Rossi.

"Oh my gosh, what happened?" the blonde immediately questioned as she hurried up to stand next to Hotch

"Garcia calm down" Hotch told her as he placed a comforting hand on her shoulder, "This is Declan's doctor, she was just informing us of his condition"

"How is my handsome blonde athlete?" she asked, looking from Hotch to the doctor

The doctor immediately spoke up, "As I was just telling these agents, his surgery went well. We were able to remove the bullet with minimal damage on our end. However he had some torn tendons that we had to repair while we were in and the bullet lodged itself in his shoulder blade. So he will basically always have an indention from where it was lodged and he has a long road of recovery to get his shoulder back to where it was physically. And honestly it might never be the same, he will always experience some pain associated with it. He also lost a lot of blood but he is doing fairly well considering"

"So he's okay then?" Garcia questioned

"He's not completely out of the woods yet, but he's doing remarkably well considering the surgery he just had"

"So is there anything else we should know about?" Rossi asked as he looked at the doctor

The doctor nodded before answering the question, "He has some severe bruising in different areas of his body. While we were performing surgery to remove the bullet we noticed some very bad bruising on his back between his shoulder blades where it appears he was struck with some kind of object. So needless to say he is not going to want to sleep on his back for awhile. Right now we do have him on his back, but he's still under some very heavy pain medication and we are pumping fluids into him because he was very dehydrated. But once he wakes up we will move him around so that he is more comfortable"

The group of adults nodded in understanding as the doctor continued, "He also has some puncture wounds which are consistent with being tazered. It looks like three separate puncture wounds. On top of that his right wrist is broken along with three of his fingers on his right hand. Other than his wrist and shoulder he just has cuts and bruises. Although it looks like he took a pretty good kick to the side of his head, which has swollen somewhat and bruised considerably more the last few hours, so we are going to keep an eye on that just to make sure he doesn't have some type of head injury. So far the tests have come out fine"

The agents all nodded as they listened intently to the doctor, "Otherwise he is recuperating nicely up in pediatrics. We have him in the ICU up there because he just came out of surgery, but once he wakes up and appears to be doing okay we will move him to a regular room"

"So can we see him?" Hotch asked hopefully

The doctor nodded, "Of course, but only two at-"

"Unfortunately we have this routine down" Rossi finished with a sad smile

The doctor nodded before turning and walking out of the waiting room. The group stood and stared at each other for a moment before Garcia spoke up.

"Can I go first this time? I want to make sure that my handsome blue eyed teen is okay"

"Of course" Hotch replied

He and Rossi watched as Garcia and Kevin headed back out of the waiting room in search of Declan. Then Hotch turned his attention to his son who was lying across some of the chairs, sound asleep. He looked at his watch and saw that it was nearing 6am. He walked over to the ten and a half year old and knelt down in front of him, before running a hand through his short caramel colored hair.

"Hey buddy" he said gently

Jack stirred and slowly opened his eyes seeing his father kneeling in front of him.

"Daddy?" he questioned tiredly

Hotch smiled, "Yeah buddy"

"What's wrong?" he asked sleepily as he rubbed his eyes and began to sit up, his hair sticking out in every direction from the way he was laying on it

Hotch smiled as he attempted to push down the unruly hair, "I figured you wanted to go see Ethan. And it's about that time"

Jack's eyes widened quickly as he shook his head away from his dad's hand and jumped up out of his chair, grabbing the comic book he had chosen earlier.

"Hurry dad, let's go" the boy said as he turned to look at his father

"Okay, but I need you to be prepared for what you are going to see"

"Okay dad" Jack said slightly annoyed

"Jack I'm serious" Hotch said in a forceful tone, which caught the boy's attention

He turned around and looked at his dad, who continued to speak.

"Jack, Ethan's hurt pretty bad. He has bruises and some cuts on his body and his head is bandaged from where he was hurt the worst"

Jack swallowed and nodded, "Okay"

Hotch nodded also as he motioned for Rossi to follow him as well. The three made it out of the waiting room and up to the pediatric ward.

All three of them entered the pediatric ward and noticed that there were a lot more nurses than usual. The two men nodded at each other, knowing they had made it at a perfect time. Rossi stood in the hallway keeping an eye out in the doorway from the ICU to the regular wing of pediatrics. He noticed the nurses in the pediatric ICU were filling in the next shift of nurses and none of them noticed when Hotch and Jack snuck by, heading towards Ethan's room.

Jack's eyes grew wide as he and his father entered Ethan's room. He saw his best friend lying motionless on the bed, but to him it looked like his brunette friend was just sleeping peacefully. He dragged a chair closer to Ethan's bed before sitting down and beginning to talk to his friend.

"Hey E, it's me, Jack" the ten and a half year old said as he stared at his friend, "My dad helped me sneak in here so that I could see you. We are probably gonna get in trouble, but it's kinda cool that my dad is breaking the rules with me, huh?"

Jack said the last part with a smile as Hotch listened while standing guard in the doorway of Ethan's room.

"Anyways I brought one of our comic books up here so that I could read to you a little before we get busted" said Jack as he opened the comic book and began to read to his friend

About ten minutes later the next shift of nurses were making their rounds when they spotted a young caramel haired boy sitting in one of the ICU rooms.

"Excuse me, you can't be in here" the nurse stated as she looked from the boy to Hotch who had been so preoccupied with his son and Ethan that he had neglected to pay attention to the nurses

"I'm sorry I brought him in here to see his fri-brother" Hotch replied, hoping that him lying about who Ethan was might ease the slightly angry nurse he was dealing with

The nurse looked from Hotch to the two boys, narrowing her eyes, before looking back at the adult, "Brother or not, nobody under fourteen is allowed in the ICU. I'm going to have to ask you to take him out of here"

Hotch nodded, "Of course" before turning to Jack and motioning for him to follow him

"Come on buddy, let's go check on Henry" he said

Jack reluctantly got up with a nod before stepping closer to Ethan's bed and bending down close to his friend, "I'll see you soon E…Love you dude"

Hotch smiled when he heard his son and said a silent prayer that everyone was going to be okay. As the caramel haired boy made his way over to his father, Hotch draped an arm around his son's shoulders, pulling him close as they walked out of the brunette boy's room.

They made their way out of ICU meeting Rossi on the other side who raised his eyebrow questioningly, earning a nod from Hotch.

"Busted" the leader confirmed

Rossi nodded slightly as he looked down at Jack, "Did you at least get to start the story?"

Jack looked up at the older man whom he considered an uncle, nodding, "Do you think you could finish it when you go back and see him?"

"Of course" Rossi answered as he took the comic book that Jack handed him

"We are going to see Henry now" the young boy stated

Rossi nodded as the three of them made their way down to Henry's room. When they entered it Jack took a seat in the chair next to his bed, just staring at the small seven year old.

"I'm going to go see if Penelope and Kevin are finished visiting Declan so that I can see how he is doing" the older man said as he turned and left the father and son alone with Henry

"Jack, you okay?" Hotch asked as he knelt down beside his son

The young boy nodded in silence as Hotch turned his focus towards the blonde boy lying on the bed.

"Why did this happen to them?" Jack finally asked, breaking the silence

Hotch took a deep breath as he turned his attention back to his son, "I don't know buddy"

"I think you do"

"Jack"

"Dad, this wasn't a normal case. Why were all of them hurt so bad?" he asked again, wanting answers

Hotch took another deep breath as he looked at his son before speaking, "Remember when you met Ethan and Declan?"

Jack nodded so Hotch continued, "Remember Emily and Derek got hurt at that time too?"

"Yeah"

"Well the people who hurt them at that time, most of them died. But some of their friends were angry about what happed and they wanted revenge"

"It was a bad man, like Ethan and Declan's dad?" Jack asked

Hotch stared at his son before nodding, "Yeah it was someone related to their dad. But even though that man helped create Ethan and Declan, that didn't make him a father to them"

"Who was it?"

Hotch was silent until Jack spoke up again, "Dad? Who hurt them?"

"It was an uncle. Even though neither boy had met the man before. And just because he was a blood uncle doesn't mean anything. Blood doesn't necessarily make family. Sometime you are lucky enough to have the choice to choose your own family. Ethan and Declan are our family…I consider them my nephews…Like you call Agent Rossi, Uncle Dave. Do you understand buddy?"

Jack nodded slightly, "All of them are our family"

"That's right"

"I'm glad we chose this family. And they chose us" Jack told his father seriously

Hotch nodded with a slight smile as he turned to look at a sleeping Henry, "Me too buddy. Me too"

There was silence again before Jack asked another question.

"Why are there bad people in the world?"

Hotch turned his attention back to his son as he thought about the question, "I don't know son"

"What makes a person bad…I mean why do people become bad?"

"Sometimes it has to do with their parents or the way they were raised or treated as children. Sometimes it has nothing to do with that. Sometimes their brains are wired differently than the rest of ours and there is nothing anyone can do about it."

"Do you think some people are just born evil?" Jack asked as he looked intently at his father

Hotch took a deep breath before answering honestly, "Unfortunately, yes, sometimes I think so"

Jack nodded as he turned to look at Henry again. Hotch looked at his son and could see that he was deep in thought.

"Jack" Hotch said looking at his son. When he didn't get a response he tried again.

"Jack are you worried about Ethan and Declan?"

The young boy just shrugged his shoulders and Hotch knew he had hit the target. He took a deep breath before he began speaking.

"Jack…buddy. I need you to listen to me okay" Hotch said, still not getting a response from his son, but continuing on, "Ethan and Declan are two very lucky boys. You know why?"

Jack's only response was a shrug.

"They are very lucky because they have Emily and JJ as parents. On top of that they have all of us. Uncle Dave, Uncle Derek, Uncle Spencer, Aunt Penelope, me…and you. It's kind of cool don't you think? I mean not only do they have two pretty cool mothers, they have some pretty cool uncles too, who can help out with the roles of fathers whenever needed. And they have one of the most fun aunts ever, right?"

Jack shrugged again, but this time responded, "I guess"

"Jack listen to me. Ethan and Declan are nothing like their father. If they would have been we would have seen signs of it a long time ago. Those two boys have good heads on their shoulders and like I said they have had two amazing mothers the last four years to love them."

"But what about before that? I mean…what if-"

"Jack, you know Ethan was raised by his aunt. He's had nothing but good influences around him" Hotch reminded him, slowly receiving a nod from his son

"And Declan had Emily for awhile when he was young. And after that he had another very important woman in his life. A woman Emily trusted to raise him right. And she did a good job with him, Emily made sure of that. She was always watching out for those two boys. And all of us know that those two are growing up into two respectful, responsible young men. Just like you are, okay"

Jack nodded before turning to his dad, "I'm glad you've always been my dad. And I'm glad I had mom, even if it was only for awhile"

Hotch smiled sadly, "I'm glad you're my son. And you will always have your mom…Right here" Hotch said as he placed his hand on his son's heart, "She's always with you"

Jack nodded before throwing his arms around his father's neck, "I love you dad"

Hotch reciprocated the hug, "I love you too buddy"

They were interrupted by a slight squeal from the doorway. As the two Hotchner's broke away from the hug, the older Hotch turned to see Garcia and Kevin in the doorway.

"I'm sorry. I just love when I see the Hotchner love" Garcia said with a smile

The team leader stood up, turning towards the bubbly blonde, "How's Declan?"

"He's definitely going to be feeling the pain when he wakes up, poor thing. But right now it just looks like he's sleeping peacefully" she answered

Hotch nodded, "Rossi up there?"

Garcia nodded, "Yeah, so I thought I would come check in on my blonde munchkin"

Hotch nodded, "I'm going to head down to see him. Will you keep an eye on Jack?"

"Of course" she answered with a smile

Hotch made his way to Declan's room and found Rossi already there, sitting in the chair beside his bed, his hand covering the sixteen year olds undamaged one.

"How's he doing?" the leader asked as he entered the room

"I'd say fairly good, mainly because of the pain meds he's on" the older man answered

Hotch nodded as he took up point on the other side of the teenager's bed. The team leader took in the blonde's appearance as his eyes scanned the damage that had been done to him. He noted the right black eye and swollen cheek, as well as the bruising formed in the shape of a shoe on the left side of his face. His hospital gown was slightly draped off of his right shoulder to accommodate the bandages covering the back of his shoulder. He could just make out the top of the bandage that was taped down. That arm was also in a sling to help prevent any movement and his right wrist had been casted, and three of his fingers on that same hand that had been broken were now splinted.

The team leader reached out and brushed some of Declan's blonde wavy hair out of the way. As he did he noticed a set of puncture wounds on his neck that were consistent with a tazer. He sighed as ran his hand over the blonde teenager's hair once again.

"How's Jack?" Rossi asked, breaking the silence

"Worried" replied Hotch honestly

Rossi just nodded in understanding before getting up and standing closer to Declan's bed.

"Hey kiddo, it's Dave. Hotch and I are both here right now and I'm sure you heard Garcia earlier. She and Kevin just went to check in on Henry again. I'm sure she already told you that we are ready to see those cerulean blues again, so don't make us wait too long. We are all here for you. I'm going to go check in on your moms again. I love you kiddo" he said as he planted a kiss to the teenager's forehead before heading out of the room.

Hotch stood beside Declan's bed for a while longer without saying anything. He sighed as he pulled up the other chair in the room to situate himself next to the teenager's bed.

"You know Declan, you are the reason that so much in this family has changed…And I don't mean that in a bad way at all…With everything that you've been through in your life, this is just one more obstacle that I know you will be able to overcome…Four years ago…well I guess five, really, you came into our lives unknowingly…well all of us except for Emily of course. Our team went through hell when we lost her…I had to keep a secret…JJ and I had to keep a secret from our team. A secret that almost tore us all apart when the truth was actually revealed…And while we were angry at Emily for keeping her past a secret…when we found out that her main reason for keeping it a secret was to protect you…and Ethan, it all made sense. Emily puts everyone before herself, it's who she is. And the team was able to understand that JJ and I did the same thing to protect Emily, despite how angry she was with us for lying to the rest of the team when she found out"

Hotch stopped speaking and concentrated on looking at the blonde teenage boy who had come to fit in to this family so well. By looking at him and talking to him, nobody would guess that he didn't belong. Especially when seen with JJ and Henry.

"I know I'm rambling. I'm not usually like that" Hotch said as he continued to look at the teenager

"You might not believe this, but you actually brought this team closer. Those of us who were keeping secrets slowly revealed them"

Hotch smiled at the boy, "Yep you're right, one of the secrets I am referring to is the fact that Emily and JJ were in love with each other, had been for quite some time. And while it took JJ nearly losing Emily…well I guess in reality she did lose her for nearly a year…she took that opportunity to confess her feelings to Emily. And to the rest of our surprises when we found out, Emily actually confessed to JJ that she reciprocated those feelings. And for her that was big. Emily is a very guarded person…I guess if you think about it we all are. We have definitely gotten better over the years, letting each other in, but still we all have walls that we put up to protect ourselves and others"

Hotch took a breath as he looked away from the bed down to the floor. Then he looked back up at the bed.

"What I am trying to say Declan, is that you were the one who brought Emily and JJ together. No matter how it all happened, you were the reason. You are the reason you all became a family…the reason Penny is here. You were able to bring two stubborn women together, confess their love for one another and form a beautiful family. One of the most loving families I have ever come across, and am lucky to know and be a part of…And I guess, what I'm trying to say is thank you…Thank you for having such a kind heart and for being the kind of kid you have been over the years. You are a wonderful role model for Jack and your brothers. You are growing…you have grown in to an amazing, responsible, respectful, smart, kind young man. I would be proud for Jack to grow up to be like you" Hotch said as he stood up from the chair and stared down at the young man before him

"I know that was lengthy…sorry. I am going to go check on some of the others, but I'll be back. I love you Declan Prentiss. You have a whole family of people who love you and I don't want you to forget that" the dark haired man told the teenager as he bent down and placed a kiss to Declan's forehead.

The adults and Jack eventually regrouped in the waiting room at nearly 8am. Everyone was exhausted from the long night of waiting and worrying, but at the same time nobody wanted to leave. As everyone began discussing what the next step should be, Hotch stepped out to call Jessica and inform her on how everyone was doing and to check on Penny.

When he returned to the waiting room, he was greeted by everyone staring at him.

"What?" he questioned as he looked at them worriedly

"We think we should all pick someone to sit with until they wake up. And we can rotate the people we are sitting with" Garcia said, speaking up

Hotch looked at the blonde analyst to the other two adults in the room and lastly at Jack.

"Well, Garcia, that sounds good, but there are five of them and only four of us" the leader pointed out

"Five" Jack spoke up

"Buddy, you need to go home and rest" the brunette agent said as he looked down at his obviously tired son

"But I can sit with Henry" he pointed out

"Jack I am taking you home so that I can shower and change my clothes and you can get some sleep. Then we will discuss whether you can come back up here and sit with Henry for awhile"

The young boy's face fell, but he didn't have much fight left to argue. His dad was right. He was tired and he could use a nap.

"But dad"

"No buts son" Hotch said firmly

He then looked up at the rest of his team, "You guys all need to do the same thing. If not rest, at least go home, shower, and change"

The other adults looked at each other, each questioning whether they really wanted to do that, when Hotch spoke up again.

"Okay how about we take turns going home and at least cleaning up? That way there will always be someone here in case one of them wakes up" the leader suggested

That earned collective nods around the group.

"Aaron you take Jack home and take care of what you need to first. We will disband throughout the floors and rooms until you get back" Rossi said

Hotch nodded, "Okay. I'll be back as soon as I can"

The adults nodded as they watched the two Hotchner's leave the waiting room.

Rossi turned his attention to Kevin and Garcia, raising an eyebrow.

"You want the kids or the girls?" he asked

Garcia wheeled her mind around, feeling torn between the children and two of her best friends, but finally decided to choose who the girls would want her to sit with.

"We'll take the kids" she answered as she looked from Rossi to Kevin

Rossi nodded, "Okay, well I am going to go check on Morgan and Reid. If Morgan finds out that we didn't let him know about Emily, Ethan, and Declan coming out of surgery okay, he would never forgive us"

Garcia nodded, "I really should go see him before I head to the boys"

"Garcia I am pretty sure that once I fill him in, I will be wheeling him down to the pediatric ward first. You can see him there, okay"

The blonde analyst thought about it for a moment, knowing the older man was right. She also knew that Morgan would want her to be with the kids anyway.

"Okay" she relented

The older man nodded at the couple before the three of them left the waiting room and split off, Garcia and Kevin heading up to the pediatric ward, while Rossi headed towards Reid and Morgan's room.

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><p>Italian translation according to Babylon: "I miss you. Get better soon."<p>

A/N: Please let me know what you guys think.


	16. Chapter 16

A/N: Thanks for the reviews on the last chapter! You guys rock! I forgot how good it feels to have people appreciate my work Here's the next chapter and hope you all enjoy it just as much. As for those who commented about my last chapter being lengthy; This one is no walk in the park either. I tend to get very detail oriented once my mind starts reeling and I start typing. With that said these chapters are very hospital focused, so if you aren't in to lengthy detail then you probably won't like it. Enough of my rambling. Please get busy reading this chapter!

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><p>When Rossi walked into Morgan and Reid's shared room he found both profilers already awake, a tray of food sitting in front of both of them.<p>

"Breakfast al la carte" the older man said jokingly as he walked in

Reid and Morgan both turned their attention to Rossi, Reid obviously still drugged more than the dark skinned agent.

"Rossi I think…Morgan's been stealing…my jello" the young genius stated tiredly and breathlessly as he looked from the older profiler back to his tray.

Rossi smiled at the younger profiler as he watched him slowly slip back into sleep. The older man then continued his path towards the darker agent's bed.

"I'm guessing you really are stealing the kid's jello" Rossi stated

"Well it's more decent than the other food we keep getting. And even the jello is not that great"

Rossi nodded and smiled.

"Any news?" Morgan questioned with concerned eyes

The older profiler nodded before he began to fill Morgan in on Emily and the other two boy's conditions. Once he finished he gave the dark skinned agent a moment to process everything he had just been told.

"So basically…none of them are out of the woods yet?" Morgan asked

"Declan should be okay. He's just going to be in a lot of pain once he finally wakes up. But the doctors are optimistic since his surgery went so well"

Derek nodded, "But Ethan is basically in a medical coma"

"That's not exactly what the doctor told us. But he did say that if he got worse or tried to wake up too soon that they might have to induce a coma in order for him to recover properly. Right now they are just pumping him full of so many drugs it's keeping him asleep"

Morgan shook his head in disbelief, "I feel like there's more you aren't telling me"

The older man looked at the dark skinned agent, knowing he had left out the fact that Emily had coded on her way into surgery twice, and that there was a possibility she might have to have one of her limbs amputated.

"I think you just need to see them for yourself so that you know that they are okay" Rossi suggested

Morgan nodded, "Find me a wheelchair?"

The older man nodded as he went to find a nurse. He returned about ten minutes later with a nurse and a wheelchair.

"He needs to be back here in two hours" the nurse ordered, "I mean I shouldn't let him go anywhere, but I was already told that you guys were FBI and you probably wouldn't follow our orders"

Rossi and Morgan both smiled at the nurse before she turned and left the room.

The older man watched Morgan try to fight against the pain he was obviously feeling as he shifted in his wheelchair. As the older man pushed Morgan down the hall towards the elevator he was able to see the bandages that were sticking up from under the dark agent's hospital gown. The older man sighed lightly as he thought about all of his injured comrades.

Rossi wheeled Morgan into the pediatric ICU and found Garcia pacing outside of Ethan's room. The older man immediately interpreted that to mean something was wrong, but he didn't see any tears running down the analysts face.

"What's wrong?" the older profile asked

"Oh my sculpted chocolate god" Garcia said excitedly as she rushed over to him ready to wrap her arms around his neck

"Careful Garcia, he's still injured" Rossi told her somewhat sternly

She carefully bent over enough to wrap her arms lightly around his neck. Morgan smiled at the blonde analyst as he wrapped his good arm around her waist tightly.

"Garcia is everything okay with the boys?" Rossi asked again, trying to contain the worry in his voice

She slowly pulled away from Morgan, "Oh what? Yeah, the nurse is in there changing little E's bandages so she asked me to step out here"

Rossi sighed in relief as the blonde analyst turned her attention towards Declan's room, "And the doctor was in there checking on my blue eyed athlete so Kevin went down the hall to check on Henry"

Rossi and Morgan both nodded in understanding at the blonde who continued to fidget. A few minutes later the doctor came out of Declan's room and nodded to Garcia. Rossi took that cue and rolled Morgan towards the teenager's room since the nurse was still in with Ethan.

"Garcia would you stay with Morgan and Declan? I want to go check in on Henry. I'll be right back" Rossi said

"Of course" she replied as she reached down to take Derek Morgan's good hand in her own and giving it a slight squeeze

Rossi nodded before turning and heading back down the hall out of ICU. Garcia then released the dark agent's hand before pushing his wheelchair inside the blonde teenagers room. Morgan's face immediately fell and he fought back the urge to cry as he took in the appearance of the young boy who had grown into such an amazing teenager.

Garcia walked up to Declan and placed a kiss on his forehead, "Morning sunshine boy" she said before turning back towards Morgan and seeing his face contorted in concern for the teenager.

"Derek, the doctor said he's going to be okay" the blonde analyst tried to reassure him as she made her way back towards him

The dark agent could only nod as he took in the bruising, along with the arm in a sling, and his hand casted.

"The surgery went well. The doctor said he is just going to have a long recovery ahead of him, but the good news is he is young and healthy"

"Can I…have a minute with him?" Derek asked as he finally turned his eyes from the teenager to look up at Garcia

The blonde analyst fought back her own tears as she saw the sad look on her friend's face, "Yeah…of course"

She turned, stopping at his wheelchair and placing a kiss on the top of the dark agent's head before stepping out of the room.

Derek slowly stood up from his wheelchair so that he could get closer to Declan's bed. He reached out with his right hand and covered the teenagers uninjured left hand, squeezing lightly.

"Hey D, I'm so sorry…I wish I could have done something. I feel so helpless, especially right now. The good news is the doctor said your surgery went well" the dark agent said as he began talking to the blonde young man

"I promise when you get out of here, you and I are going to do rehab together. We apparently both have some recovery time ahead. And I promised you I would help out with preparing you to be ready to play sports at a college level and I'm going to keep that promise. I'm going to be the proudest uncle ever when you get that athletic scholarship" Morgan told him with a smile

He was silent for a moment as he released the teenager's hand and moved it up to his head, running his hand over the thick blonde, wavy hair.

"I love you Declan Prentiss and don't you _ever_ forget that. You mean so much to everyone in the crazy dysfunctional family. I know in the beginning you didn't think you fit in very well and I probably didn't help much with my attitude and I'm probably going to apologize for that for the rest of my life. But it didn't take long for me or anyone else to fall in love with you. You are an amazing young man. Your mothers are so proud of you…I am so proud of you…So I don't want you to ever forget how many people love you…how much you are loved. We would do anything for you, but I think…or at least I _hope_ that you know that by now"

Morgan sighed lightly before bending down and placing a kiss on the teenager's forehead. As he slowly stood back up he bit back his own pain that he was feeling in his upper left chest and shoulder. He took a moment to catch his breath before he looked back down at the blonde.

"I'm going to go check on your brothers and mothers, but I'll be back. You can count on it" Morgan said as he carefully sat back down in his wheelchair

Garcia came back into the room at that time since she had been watching through the glass window of his room.

"Are you okay hot stuff?" she asked as she saw the pain contorted across his face

He nodded but didn't actually say anything.

"Derek-"

"Baby girl I'm fine" he told her, "Just take me to Ethan…please"

She nodded before turning his wheelchair and maneuvering it out of Declan's room, back to the hallway and down towards the eleven year olds room.

As they got to the doorway Garcia began to speak, "The doctors just came out a few minutes ago and they said his wounds are looking good"

Morgan didn't respond, instead just waiting to see for himself that the mini Prentiss was okay. He held his breath as Garcia wheeled him inside the brunette boys room.

The dark agent's breath caught in his throat when he saw the young, small, brunette boy lying on the bed. Other than the bandages wrapped around his head, from where Derek Morgan was sitting in his wheelchair it looked as though the young boy was sleeping peacefully. But as he stood up out of his wheelchair and made his way closer to the bed, he began to see the cuts and bruises that marred the, normally vibrant, boy's body.

As Morgan stood beside Ethan's bed, he reached up with his good hand and placed it gently on the eleven year old's shoulder, before reaching up and brushing a little bit of the boy's long brunette hair out of the way of his neck. The dark agent froze as he noticed the puncture wounds on the young boy's jaw and neck in several different places.

"What the hell" he said out loud as he leaned down quickly to get a better look

As soon as he moved, he felt the staples in his chest pull and he let out a hiss of pain. Garcia was immediately by his side.

"Derek, be careful" she told him as she wrapped an arm carefully around him

As he regained his breath and felt the pain slowly fade away he opened his eyes and looked down at Ethan sadly.

"They fucking tazered him Penelope" he stated as he continued to stare down at the brunette boy who looked so much like his partner and best friend

Garcia nodded sadly as she looked from the sad, concerned face of Derek back down to Ethan, "I know"

The dark agent shook his head lightly as he felt a tear escape down his cheek, "I saw where they got Henry with it also…who does that? Who tazers children?"

Garcia didn't answer. She knew that they were rhetorical questions. She, herself had wondered the same thing, just as she was sure everyone else on their team had.

"Apparently all three boys were tazered" she said, somewhat quietly

Morgan closed his eyes to try to control the tears that wanted to fall. He slowly opened them and looked back down at the precious young boy who had captured all of their hearts instantaneously. Morgan was fairly sure a lot of the reason behind that was because he was the spitting image of Emily. Then once they added to it that he also encompassed so much of her personality there was no way that any of them could not love him.

Morgan smiled as he thought back to one of his earlier memories of Ethan. The young boy had just turned seven years old and shortly before Declan had been legally adopted by Emily.

_Emily and JJ had brought all three boys up to the BAU so that JJ could pick up some paperwork and Emily could finish up the last of her reports before the weekend. JJ had dropped Henry off in Garcia's lair so that he could spend some time with his godmother. Declan had then also requested to hang out with the two blondes so JJ left them to it, before heading to her office._

_Meanwhile Ethan had followed Emily to her desk and was perched on the corner swinging his feet and humming to himself, while his mother tried to concentrate on her report. She didn't hear Morgan walk up beside them, but she sensed that someone had._

"_Hi Agent Morgan" Ethan said happily, confirming Emily's suspicions that someone had indeed approached_

"_Hey there shorty" Morgan teased playfully_

"_I'm only short because I'm little. More than likely I will grow to be taller than my mom" the young brunette stated_

"_Is that so?" the dark agent questioned, playing along_

"_Uh huh" the boy said as he continued to swing his legs, letting the back of his heels begin to hit the desk, "Human height is 60-80% heritable. So I have a pretty good chance at being at least as tall as my mama"_

_Emily bit her bottom lip to keep from laughing out loud at her son._

_Morgan didn't hide a smile as he stood, staring down at the newly turned seven year old, "And did Dr Reid tell you that statistic?"_

_Ethan continued to bang his feet against his mothers desk as he swung his legs back and forth in a rhythmic manner, "Uh uh…My mama did"_

_Morgan laughed out loud that time, knowing that was probably true, "Of course she did"_

_Emily turned and glared at her partner, "And just what is that supposed to mean?"_

_Morgan held up his hands in defense, "Nothing Princess…Nothing at all"_

_Ethan smiled as he watched the interchange between his mom and her team mate, the one who had found him and saved his life._

"_Since you call mama Princess does that mean I'm a Prince?" Ethan asked inquisitively as he stared up at the dark agent_

_Morgan looked down at the boy who was currently demonstrating the same face as Emily whenever she was thinking and questioning at the same time. Emily slowly turned trying to watch the interaction out of the corner of her eye, waiting for her partner to respond to her son's question._

_Morgan looked seriously down at the boy who stopped swinging his legs to look intently back at the dark agent._

"_You bet you are big man. I bet you've always been your mom's little prince" he said, earning a shrug from the seven year old_

"_But you know what?" Morgan said with a smile_

"_What?" Ethan asked, returning the smile_

"_You are my Prince now also, as well as everyone else's on this team. What do you think about that?"_

"_Cool" Ethan responded with his large, toothy, Prentiss smile, well somewhat toothy since he was missing one of his front teeth, before he began banging his feet against his mother's desk again_

_Emily smiled to herself before she finally spoke up, turning her chair towards her son, "E, I love you, but could you stop banging the desk for a few minutes so that I can finish up my report"_

"_Sorry" he replied, giving her a smile and batting his eyelashes_

_Emily rolled her eyes with a smile at her son's antics, just as Morgan picked the boy up off of the desk, slinging him over his shoulder, earning a squeal from the seven year old._

"_You finish up Princess. Me and Prince Ethan are going to go hang out for awhile" he informed the brunette woman as he walked off with the seven year old still slung over his shoulder giggling_

_Emily smiled as she watched Derek walk away with her son. She also caught the next thing he said to her son as he was walking away._

"_You know what Prince Ethan?"_

"_What" the boy giggled_

"_I think I'm gonna call you pretty boy junior also" the dark agent stated as he pushed open the glass doors to the BAU_

_Ethan just laughed and other agents stared as the big, strong Derek Morgan walked out of the doors with a giggling brunette boy hanging off of his shoulder._

_Emily smiled and shook her head before turning her attention back to her paperwork, loving the fact that her team…her family…had fallen in love with her son…well both of her sons._

Morgan slowly came back to the present, staring down at the young boy. He looked at Ethan's face, his bone structure, his nose, and he smiled thinking of what Emily probably looked like at that age. However, the dark agent frowned again when he noticed the handprint bruising around the eleven year olds chin and cheeks, where it was obvious someone had grabbed him and held onto his face roughly.

"Penelope, does it make me a bad person if I wanted to personally beat the crap out of these bastards that did all of this?" Morgan asked out loud

Garcia shook her head, her arm still draped carefully around Morgan's waist, "Well Hotch and Rossi both already took care of that part…and from my understanding Emily pretty much beat the crap out of Patrick Doyle before shooting him herself"

Morgan nodded as he continued to look at Ethan, "Good"

The dark agent then carefully bent down and planted a kiss on Ethan's cheek, since his forehead was wrapped in bandages.

"Hey pretty boy junior" Morgan said as he began talking to Ethan, "It's Uncle Derek"

The dark man sighed before continuing, "I am so sorry kid…I'm sorry all of this happened…I'm sorry I wasn't there to help"

"I want you to know E…I love you so much and I don't know what any of us would do without you…You have a gift of bringing a smile to people's faces…And your heart…it's just…it's so big and so full of kindness…I mean you're only eleven but you always put others before yourself and that says so much…Although I'm not all that surprised, I mean you are Emily's son…and she's the same way" he said adding a small smile with the last part

"I just want you to know that I will _always_ be here for you, no matter what…I know you are going to grow into an amazing, compassionate young man who is going to do so many great things. But before you can do that you have to get better. And by that I mean just rest. The doctors say you have to stay asleep for awhile, until they say it's okay for you to wake up...I know that goes against the Prentiss genes…you guys are wired to fight for the people you love…and you're all stubborn as hell…and occasionally have listening problems…but this time Ethan, you have to listen…You have to just relax and rest. Let your body heal"

Morgan felt the pain getting worse in his chest and shoulder. He knew he needed to wrap it up if he wanted to be able to visit Emily before his next dose of pain medication. But he also wanted to spend more time with Ethan. He sighed as he ran his hand down the brunette boy's cheek before letting it rest gently on his shoulder.

"I'll be back kid, and maybe I'll bring a Kurt Vonnegut book" Morgan smiled

"But I'm going to go check on the others. You just concentrate on getting better so that you can grace us all with your sarcastic sense of humor…and of course your kickass dance moves"

Morgan bent down placing one last kiss to Ethan's cheek before allowing Garcia to help him down into his wheelchair.

Garcia wheeled him out of the pediatric ward, taking him by Henry's room first, so that he could tell the seven year old good morning even though he still hadn't woken up. Once Morgan finished there Garcia loaded him into the elevator and took him to the floor that Emily and JJ were both currently on. She wheeled him down to the ICU doors and just as she was about to push them open, Rossi came through them.

"Are you ready for this Derek?" the older man questioned looking down at the almost scared, and definitely concerned face of the dark agent

"I have to see her for myself" he replied

The older agent nodded as he gave a small smile to the blonde analyst before taking control of Morgan's wheelchair and pushing him through the doors of ICU.

Rossi pushed Morgan's wheelchair through the doorway of their brunette team member's room. The dark agent's face immediately contorted into one of concern and sadness as Rossi pushed him closer to her bed, finally coming to a stop.

The older man stood beside the darker one, watching as Morgan fought back the tears that were evident in his eyes as he reached out with his right hand and placed it over Emily's right hand. Derek let his eyes scan her body, top to bottom, noting each bruise, cut, gash, and mark on her body that he could see. He couldn't help himself as he flashed back to nearly five years ago when Doyle had beaten her the first time and he had found her lying on the warehouse floor with the stake sticking out of her stomach. Then flashing forward almost a year later when Doyle had beaten her again, except this time Derek was there to help end it once and for all…or so he had thought.

He sighed as he came back to the present and looked again at her bruised and battered body. Her left thigh wrapped in bandages and propped up on pillows, the cuts and bruises on her right arm and hand that he could see from his position in his wheelchair. He saw the bandage covering the top of her right shoulder, as well as the bandage wrapped around her upper right arm. He slowly stood up, to stand next to her bed and that's when he saw her left hand and arm. He gritted his teeth to stop the tears as he saw the top of her left arm wrapped in bandages, before his eyes landed on the bandages wrapped around her left hand and the brace that was keeping the hand still, along with her first two fingers, which were splinted.

As he moved his eyes back up to her face, he saw, for the first time, the bruises across her neck that formed the shape of handprints. From there he saw the cut on the left side of Emily's neck, before his eyes finally landed on the bite marks on the right side of her neck. Anger flashed through Derek's entire body as he took in the bruising across Emily's face and body. But as he stared down at the blatant teeth marks on her neck and the handprints from someone trying to strangle her he began to lose it. He released the hold he had on the brunettes hand and took a step back, his breathing becoming heavy. Rossi noticed the change in Morgan and tried to intervene.

"Morgan" he said calmly but forcefully

However, before anything else happened, Morgan had spun himself around, grabbing the wheelchair with his right arm and swinging it towards the nightstand next to Emily's bed, causing a lamp and a few other objects to fall off and onto the floor, breaking. Then before Rossi could grab a hold of him the dark agent was facing the window that looked from Emily's room out to the large lobby of the ICU where the nurses station and hallways were. He didn't think twice before pulling his good hand up, back, and slamming it into the glass. Rossi wrapped his arms around the agent from behind, just as the inside glass came crashing down. Luckily it was two paned and shatter proof. The inside pane broke where Morgan punched his hand through, but then the whole thing came down in one big piece, rather than shattering, leaving the outside pane still intact.

Nurses and a doctor came running into the room as Rossi eased Morgan down to the ground.

"Sir we had to call security" one nurse stated as she looked at the two men

"Will you just give us a minute. He'll be fine. He didn't mean to do this" Rossi said, trying to defend the dark agent, who was sitting on the floor still wrapped in the older man's tight embrace

"Sir he just vandalized hospital property and scared the other people in this area" another nurse responded

"I know and I'm sorry. But we are both FBI agents and we have been through hell-" Rossi began but was interrupted by the first nurse

"Sir I don't care if you were the president of the United States. The fact of the matter is he just vandalized hospital property and put a patient's life at risk"

"He _never_ would have done anything to harm her" Rossi stated as he nodded towards Emily's bed, "That is his partner and best friend whom he has just seen since she was nearly killed by a psychopath. So yes, he's upset. Hell, he's pissed off. He wasn't there to protect her like he feels he should have been. Wouldn't you be pissed off if someone you loved was beaten and nearly killed by someone?"

When nobody answered the older man continued, "So yeah, he's pissed, and yeah he shouldn't have vandalized anything. I'm sorry. He's sorry. But please don't make this any worse than it already is. I can already feel that he pulled out his staples. Please just let him say what he needs to, to her and then we will go"

"I don't-" the first nurse began but was cut off by a doctor

"It's okay. They can stay. Let security know it was a false alarm" he said looking at the nurses

"But-"

"No buts Angie, just do it. These people are all FBI and like the man said, they have all been through hell. I would have done the same thing if I were him" the doctor stated

The two nurses then turned and left the room, leaving just the doctor and the three agents. The doctor slowly made his way over to the two men on the floor as he bent down in front of them.

Morgan shrugged Rossi off of him by that time as he finally began to come back to the present. The older man released the hold and scooted back.

"Morgan" Rossi questioned

"I'm fine Rossi" the dark agent replied harshly as he tried to stand up

As he did he groaned in pain, his right arm grabbing at his left chest and shoulder area.

"Whoa, hold on there" the doctor said as he held his arms out to Derek, trying to keep him sitting

"I'm fine" the dark agent said breathlessly as he tried to hide the pain

"Pardon me, Agent, but you just threw a wheelchair into a wall and punched your arm through a window. I don't think you're fine" the doctor replied

Morgan glared at the doctor but didn't object when he pulled the agent's hospital gown down to look at his chest.

He nodded, "Yep you pulled your staples out. And unfortunately it's a lot less painful when you are under anesthesia and getting them put in. So this next part is not going to feel very good"

The doctor helped Morgan to stand up and began to lead the agent out of the room, before Morgan jerked away.

"No way I'm not leaving here" he stated

"Morgan" Rossi said as he moved the wheelchair towards the younger man

"No" he said firmly looking at the older man, "I came in here to see my friend and I haven't gotten to talk to her at all. I'm not leaving here until I do. So you can either fix me up here or you can wait until I'm done"

The doctor looked from the younger man to the older one. Rossi just shrugged before answering, "He's serious. He won't leave until he's ready"

The doctor nodded, "Okay well let me go gather some supplies and I will return to fix you up"

Both agents nodded before the doctor turned and walked out. Morgan then turned and made his way back over to the side of Emily's bed. Rossi looked at the dark agent and could see the blood seeping slowly through his hospital gown.

"How's your hand" the older man asked

"Huh?" Morgan questioned before remembering his hand

He looked down at his right hand, inspecting the damage. He could see he had cut a few of his knuckles and they were now bleeding and swollen. And now that he actually clenched and unclenched his hand he could feel the pain.

"It's fine" he replied nonchalantly

Rossi nodded, "Right"

They stood in silence for a moment before the older man spoke up again, "We are all angry Derek. What happened to them…it wasn't fair. Nobody should ever have to go through that"

"I just…I saw the bite marks…and the bruising on her neck…and…I just" he stopped, knowing that if he kept talking he would finally break down in tears

Rossi placed a comforting hand on the younger man's uninjured shoulder, "I know kid"

Just then the doctor walked back into the room. Rossi dropped his hand from Morgan's shoulder and moved to the side so the doctor could do his work.

"Okay take a seat Agent?"

"Morgan" he answered as Rossi pushed a chair up behind him to sit down in

"Agent Morgan" he repeated as he pulled a small tray table up next to him with all of the utensils he would need

"Okay I'm not going to remove all of these staples while you are in here because it's going to be painful"

"I can handle it" Morgan said cutting him off

"Sir"

"Please just get it over with. It can't be any worse than the pain I'm already in"

The doctor sighed finally relenting, "Fine. But you will take the pain meds I have for you and you will let me give you the shot"

"Fine" the dark agent agreed

The doctor slowly removed the top part of the agent's gown so that he could have access to his chest easily. As he did that Rossi slowly stepped around to get a look at the damage the younger man had endured from his gunshot wound. The older man's eyes grew wide as he saw the surgical gash from about the middle of Morgan's chest, just above his heart, angled up towards his left shoulder. The staples had come undone starting at the top, nearest his shoulder and about half way down across his chest. Blood was seeping from the wound slowly but steadily and Rossi knew that the dark agent had to be in more pain than he was letting on.

The doctor filled his needle and began sticking it into the dark agent's chest all around his wound. Once that was finished he gave the agent two heavy duty pain pills to also help. Then he grabbed his first utensil and began to pluck out the staples one by one. By this time Rossi had turned and headed back to Emily's bed, unable to watch what the doctor was doing to Morgan. He could hear the dark agent bite back a moan of pain every now and then as the doctor continued to pull out the staples.

Rossi took Emily's hand in his own and began whispering to her, "He refused to leave this room to get fixed up. I know you find that hard to believe"

"And of course he's trying to act all macho about having his staples removed and then having new ones put back in…I think that's just so when you wake up he can brag about how he had staples put in his chest when he was conscious" Rossi said with a smile as he looked at the brunette woman lying in the bed

"Of course if the roles were reversed I know you would be the same way. You two are so much alike in that way…Both trying to outdo the other in your macho-ness…Two stubborn, independent, fearless partners who both have trust issues…who would have thought you would have ended up with a beautiful wife, four beautiful children and a partner who loves and trusts you more than either of you ever thought was possible…I did Emily…And I am so glad I was right" he said the last part with a smile just as he heard the doctor

"All done" the doctor stated

"Gee thanks" Morgan replied, attempting to pull his gown back up over his shoulder

As he did the doctor saw the agent's hand and reached for it carefully, "I'm guessing this is the hand that went through the window?"

The agent nodded as he let the doctor inspect it.

The doctor shook his head as he stitched up one of Derek's knuckles, before wrapping the hand to try to keep it protected, for now.

"I think you fractured two of your knuckles, so just try to refrain from clenching anything too tightly"

Morgan nodded as the doctor released his hand.

"Oh and maybe try to refrain from vandalizing anything else in this hospital" he added before getting up and gathering his supplies

"Thanks…and sorry" Morgan said just before the doctor turned to leave the room

The dark agent then turned back towards his partner's bed, before moving towards it slowly, as if the pace he set for himself might somehow change the outcome of what he already knew was there.

Rossi placed the younger agent's wheelchair beside Emily's bed before stepping around it and heading for the door.

"I'll wait right out here. Just try not to break anything else okay" the older man said before stepping completely out of the room

Morgan finally made it to the side of his partner's bed. He reached down taking her hand again in his own and squeezing it gently. He pressed his lips together, running his tongue along his top teeth, and clenching his jaw to try and stop the tears, but he knew this time it was too late. He leaned down and placed a kiss to her forehead before standing back up. He closed his eyes in sadness, before opening them back up, the tears beginning to fall freely down his face.

"Emily…I…I'm so sorry" he began as he attempted to choke back more tears, "I'm sorry I wasn't there to help protect you…protect the kids…I know you don't like it when I get overprotective…but…hell I think in this case you would have been okay with it"

The dark skinned agent sighed as he carefully sat back down in his wheelchair, still keeping a grip on his brunette friend's hand.

"I love you Emily…you are the best partner I've ever had…but you're more than that…you know that, right?" he questioned himself as much as he was questioning her, did she actually know that? Had he made it clear that she was more than just his partner?

"You're my friend…my best friend Princess…you know things about me, that nobody else does…If you would have told me ten years ago that we would have ended up as close as we are…that I would have trusted you more than anyone else in my life, I wouldn't have hesitated to deny it" he told her as he stared intently at her, wishing more than anything that she would open her eyes and give him a hard time about how sentimental he was being

"And it's true Em…before you, I never trusted anyone enough to let them in…to let them know the real me…to understand where I had come from, what I had been through…But with you, it's like…I don't know…I felt this connection from the very beginning…and I knew we would become great partners…but…I had no idea that we would become best friends…a friend that I trust more than anyone…a friend that I would do anything for…that I would die for…And Emily if I could have, I would have changed places with you in a heartbeat…any of you" he admitted, letting more tears fall

The dark agent took a deep breath before continuing, "I want you to know princess, that we are all okay…Me, Reid, JJ, the kids…but none of us can make it without you. You're too important to us…to this family…You're an integral part, whether you believe it or not, it's true…And I know JJ is strong, but she is so in love with you and I don't think she can make it without you in her life…And you've got four beautiful kids who depend on you and love you so much…And Emily…I can't live without you either…So you better fight and you better wake up as soon as you can. I need someone to tease Reid with…and someone to give Hotch and Rossi heart attacks with when we storm into a building without backup or do something else fearless and reckless that they don't approve of" he told her, saying the last part with a smile

"And when you do wake up Princess, I'm going to be here, every step of the way, until you are better"

Morgan could feel the pain meds really beginning to kick in because he was growing weaker and more tired by the second, but he couldn't seem to part from the room. He didn't want to leave Emily's room. He really wished there was one gigantic room that they could place all of them in, so that they would constantly be within reach of one another…the kids, JJ, Reid, Emily, and him.

If he wasn't in so much pain and knew that Emily wouldn't be in any more pain he would climb up in bed beside her and fall asleep. That way he could make sure she was always okay and because it would make him feel better. He found comfort in that and he knew she would too…although they would never admit it out loud. Sure he cuddled up with Garcia, and Emily cuddled up with JJ, but that was different. JJ was the one person who was privy to Emily's vulnerable side, just as Garcia was sometimes privy to his. But the two partners tried not to let their vulnerabilities show in front of each other too often, because they didn't want it to get in the way of their job, especially in the field. That's not to say it never happened, but when it did, they tried their best to wait and to do it in private. For whatever reason, even though everyone on the team had gotten better about opening up to each other, the two of them still kept the walls up when necessary and even sometimes when not necessary. They knew the rest of the team was aware of how close they were, they were partners after all, had been for nearly ten years. But they didn't want the team, their friends, to know that sometimes they did sit in a corner together and just…cry. But there was no way they would ever let the rest of the team know that sometimes they did wallow in their own misery, especially after particularly haunting cases. Nor did the two of them talk about it later. It didn't happen very often, but when it did, it was because they finally couldn't compartmentalize anymore and they didn't want Garcia and JJ to know how long they had been keeping everything bottled up. And sometimes it was because they were the two agents who had witnessed something horrifying. And even though Emily knew JJ would understand, there was something comforting about discussing it, or just crying about it with your partner, who was feeling the same way because he was there with you when it happened. But once they were finished they acted like nothing had ever happened and they would never bring it up again. Most likely, because if they talked about it then they had to admit that it had actually happened. And for the both of them it was easier just going about their business like nothing was ever wrong.

Morgan sighed as he closed his eyes, the tiredness threatening to take over. A moment later he felt a hand on his shoulder causing his eyes to pop back open.

"Let's get you back to bed kid" Rossi's voice told him gently

"I want to stay here" the younger agent said, trying to fight the pain medications

"I know you do. And I promise after you get some rest you can come back, okay" the older agent told him

Morgan stood back up out of his wheelchair, gripping Emily's hand tightly as he leaned down and placed another kiss gently on her cheek. He then sat back down in his wheelchair and slowly released the grip he had on his brunette partner's hand.

Rossi took that opportunity to step up to Emily and place a kiss on her forehead, "I'll be back kid. I'm just going to take your stubborn partner back to his room to rest a bit"

Morgan rolled his eyes at the older agent's statement before he felt Rossi begin pushing his chair out of Emily's room. The dark agent stuck his feet out, placing them on the ground to stop the wheelchair movement quickly, causing Rossi to nearly fall over the top of him.

"What are you doing?" the older agent asked

"I want to see JJ before I go"

"Derek you can barely stay awake as is. And you aren't going away forever. You can come back after you rest"

"No" the dark agent stated firmly, "I just want to check on her to make sure she is okay"

Rossi mulled over his statement for a moment before saying, "Just to check in on her, then straight back to your room"

"Yes dad" the dark agent said sarcastically

"Watch it kid" Rossi replied playfully

The older agent turned and wheeled Morgan towards JJ's room, which was just a few rooms down from Emily's. He pushed the dark agent inside and up next to the blonde woman's bed. Then he walked forward first and bent over, placing a kiss on JJ's cheek.

"Morning sweetheart" he said before standing back up, "Morgan here wouldn't go rest in his room until he saw for sure that you were still okay"

Morgan rolled his eyes at Rossi before he carefully stood up out of his wheelchair, nearly losing his balance because of the drugs in his system. The older man caught him and helped him take the extra couple of steps to be next to JJ's bed.

Then the dark agent bent down and placed a kiss to JJ's cheek, "Mornin blondie. Just wanted to come by and check on you before I head back for a nap. These meds are really starting to kick my ass"

Rossi smiled at Morgan's choice of words before the younger man added, "I'll be back in a little while to see you again"

With that Rossi helped Morgan back into his wheelchair before heading out of the room and taking the younger agent back to his room and helping him back into his bed. The dark agent was out as soon as his head hit the pillow.

"Rossi?" Reid squeaked out from the bed a few feet away from Morgan's

"Yeah kid. You alright?" the older man asked as he stepped up to the young genius' bed

"Is everyone alright?" the younger man questioned, looking intently from Morgan to Rossi, obviously still under sedation

Rossi looked at the young doctor and put on his best agent face.

"Yeah, they are all doing just fine. Right now you just need to rest so that your body can heal" the older man said to Reid as he placed a gentle hand on the young man's forehead

Reid nodded slightly, his eyes fighting to stay awake, "So you found Emily and JJ…and the kids?"

Rossi sighed knowing he should tell him the truth about what was going on. But the older man also knew that he was still heavily sedated and that most of what he would tell the younger man probably wouldn't register. Plus he knew that Reid didn't need any more added stress. He needed to let his body rest and recover. So the older agent did the only thing he could at that moment and put a smile on his face.

"Yeah Reid we found them. They are going to be just fine. You just rest, okay. I'll be back a little later" he lied to the younger man, who nodded again as he finally allowed his body to succumb to sleep yet again

The older man took one last look at the two agents in the room before walking out and heading back to ICU to sit with Emily and JJ.

Sometime later Hotch returned without Jack, leaving the ten year old at home to sleep. The agents all took turns, rotating from room to room every couple of hours, trying to keep an eye on the two women and their children. Sometimes the agents would read to the kids and the two women, sometimes they would play music, and other times they would just talk to them.

By late afternoon Henry still hadn't woken up as the doctor predicted he would. Rossi was sitting with him and began to worry that there might be more going on with him than the doctors knew. He pressed the call button for a nurse so that he could question her on why the young boy hadn't woken up.

A few minutes later a nurse entered the room, looking from the older man to the boy who appeared to be sleeping peacefully.

"Is there a problem?" she asked turning her attention back to the older man

"I just wanted to make sure that everything still seemed okay with the boy. He hasn't woken up yet and the doctor told us yesterday that he would wake up today" Rossi said, stating his concerns

The nurse smiled sweetly as she nodded at the older man who appeared genuinely concerned before she walked over to the seven year old blonde boy lying in the bed. She checked all of his vitals and the machines before looking at his chart.

Once she finished she turned and looked at Rossi, "Are you the grandfather?"

The older man didn't hesitate to answer the question with a nod.

The nurse smiled again, "Well I can assure you that your grandson is doing just fine. I read his chart and was updated when I got here about what he had been through. His vitals are good. He's just in a deep sleep, which isn't unusual for a boy his age who has been through a traumatic event. His body is still recuperating and taking in the fluids it needs to. But I promise there is no need to worry. He will wake up when he feels his body has gotten enough sleep and even then he will probably still be tired"

"But you're positive he will wake up?" Rossi asked, wanting confirmation again

The nurse nodded again, "Yes. One hundred percent positive he will wake up, if not tonight, by the morning for sure"

Rossi nodded, "Thank you"

The nurse nodded as she turned to walk back out the door, turning one last time to look at the older man as he sat back down in the chair and took the small boy's hand in his own.

The nurse came back a few moments later and began to wrap Henry's wrists in cold cloths.

"What are you doing?" the older man asked

"We have been wrapping his wrists in cold cloths for fifteen minutes at a time every hour to help the swelling" she informed him as she wrapped his other wrist

Rossi nodded as he released the seven year old's hand while she finished wrapping it. Once she was finished he picked up the tiny hand and held it in his larger one before she turned and left the room again.

By later that night everyone had been home to shower and change before coming back to the hospital. Morgan had gotten up again to sit with Emily and then JJ for awhile before being ordered back to his room for rest.

At a little after 10pm Hotch was sitting with Henry when he saw the young boy's hand move. The dark haired man leaned forward in his chair taking the small hand in his own and giving it a light squeeze. It was returned with small fingers attempting to grip his hand.

"Hey Henry, it's okay buddy, it's Uncle Aaron. You're safe now. You can wake up" he said in a soothing voice

The little boy rolled his head from side to side, his eyes still closed, before his feet began kicking under the covers. Hotch realized at that time that the seven year old was having a nightmare.

The team leader stood up and ran his hand through the blonde hair as he began talking calmly to the boy in an attempt to calm him down. He held Henry's hand tighter as he continued to talk to him.

"It's okay Henry, you're safe. Your moms are okay. Your brothers are okay. You are all safe now. I promise"

The small blonde finally began to settle down relaxing back into the bed, his hand no longer gripping Hotch's firmly.

The brunette man bent down and placed a gentle kiss on the small boy's forehead, noticing that he still had a slight fever, but that it was going down. He then pulled the chair up closer to the bed and sat back down, still keeping a grip on Henry's hand.

The agents had all decided to stay in one person's room for the night…or on the same floor. Kevin and Garcia were with the girls, while Hotch was with Henry and Rossi was with the two boys in ICU.

Around midnight Hotch had finally dozed off when he thought he heard a tiny voice. His eyes popped open and he looked around, remembering that he was at the hospital. He heard the voice again and popped forward in his seat, realizing it was Henry.

"Hey Henry, it's okay, open your eyes buddy" the dark haired man coaxed

"Mommy?" Henry said groggily, his eyes still closed

"Open your eyes buddy, it's Uncle Aaron"

"Mmm…mama" he said again, his eyes slowly starting to open

Hotch smiled as he saw the blonde boy's eyes finally starting to open. He smiled even wider when he was able to see the light brown eyes of the seven year old.

"Hey Henry" he said, still smiling at the boy, as he ran his hand through the blonde hair

Henry's eyes grew wide as he looked around before looking back at Hotch. Once he saw the dark haired man he relaxed a little before staring at him.

"You're in the hospital buddy. But you're going to be okay" Hotch told the youngster

"Mama Em?" he asked his eyes looking at Hotch before scanning the room

Hotch heard the heart monitor begin to race as Henry mentioned Emily and began to look around the room for the brunette woman.

"Hey, hey, calm down Henry" he told the seven year old as placed his other hand gently on the blonde's arm, "She's okay, she's just in another room"

Henry turned back to Hotch and stared at him, "I wanna see Mama Em"

"You can't right now buddy it's late. You just need to rest" Hotch told him, trying to keep him calm

"I want my mommy" he stated again, this time referring to JJ

Hotch's face immediately saddened, "I know you do Henry, but it's really late and both of your moms are sleeping in their own rooms right now. Why don't you try to go to sleep and we can maybe see them in the morning"

Henry stared at his uncle for a moment, tears forming in his eyes.

"Hey buddy, don't be sad, okay. You know what?"

The little blonde boy shook his head.

"I am so happy to see those eyes of yours you know that"

Again Henry shook his head.

Hotch smiled slightly, "You had us very scared"

"My mommies are hurt aren't they?" the seven year old asked

Hotch sighed but nodded, "Yeah Henry they are"

"Real bad?" the small boy questioned

"Yeah son, pretty badly"

Henry began to let the tears run down his face before uttering, "It's my fault"

"What? No Henry. It's not your fault. This is only the bad men's fault" he told the seven year old

Henry continued to cry, his cries turning to hiccups as he said, "Uh huh…hiccup…Mama…hiccup…Em's hurt…hiccup…because of…hiccup…me"

Hotch continued to reassure the blonde boy as he cried some more before finally crying himself to sleep. The dark haired man was at a loss as he felt his heart breaking even more. And he knew that something must have happened to Emily in front of Henry, for the little boy to be that upset. He knew she was probably trying to protect him, like she does with everyone, but he was still curious as to what had happened. Hell he wanted to know what happened the entire time those bastards had that family.

The next morning Hotch chose to remain with Henry until he woke up again, while Garcia took her turn in the pediatrics ICU and Rossi stayed with the two women.

Shortly after 9am Hotch saw the young blonde boy stirring in his bed. He scooted forward in his chair and placed his hand gently on top of Henry's.

"Hey Henry. It's Uncle Aaron" he said in a calm tone

A few seconds later he was greeted with light brown eyes staring up into his own dark eyes. Hotch smiled at the small boy, thankful he was going to be okay, at least physically.

"Hi" he said with a smile

Henry swallowed before replying, "Hi"

"How are you feeling buddy?" he asked the seven year old

"I'm tired" he answered truthfully

Hotch nodded, "I bet you are. The doctor said that you would be"

"Can I see mommy or mama Em yet?" he asked

The dark haired man sighed before shaking his head, "I'm sorry Henry. They are still in their own rooms"

"Why can't you take me there?" he asked innocently

Hotch moved to sit on the edge of the young boy's bed before answering the question, "They are both in special rooms…and kids can't go in there"

Henry closed his eyes for a moment before opening them back up and looking up at the dark haired man, "Like when mommy hurt her head?"

Hotch nodded, "Yeah son, just like that"

He nodded and closed his eyes again. Hotch took that as a cue that the boy was going back to sleep so he stood up off of the bed to move back to the chair. However, as he did Henry's eyes flew open again and he turned to Hotch.

"Where's Dec and E?" he asked

The dark haired man sighed again before answering the question, "They are hurt too son, so they are in their own rooms trying to get better"

The small blonde boy turned away from Hotch to look towards his window. The man could tell the boy was sad and he wasn't quite sure how to lift his spirits.

"Garcia and Rossi are here. They will probably come see you as soon as I tell them that you're awake. Would you like to see them?"

The only response Hotch got was a shrug of the shoulders.

The team leader pressed the call button for the nurse, so that she could come check on Henry since he was now awake. Then he pulled out his phone and text both Rossi and Garcia.

A few minutes later the nurse and the doctor showed up to check on the seven year old boy. Once he had been checked out the doctor assured Hotch that Henry was going to be okay physically. He told Hotch that the boy would probably have pain in his wrists for awhile due to the cuts and bruising. He also reminded Hotch that Henry was still recovering from his fever and would most likely still be tired over the next couple of days. He decided that he wanted to keep the small boy at least one more night since he was still running a bit of a fever.

Just as the doctor left, Garcia and Rossi both came into the room.

"Oh my precious blonde munchkin" Garcia cooed as she flew straight towards her godson with open arms

"No worries my dear, your fairy godmother is here" she told him as she sat down on the edge of his bed and pulled the seven year old into her arms

It took Henry a moment before he reciprocated the hug and even then it was only a light hug he returned.

"Hey kiddo" Rossi said with a smile as he walked over to the bed and ran his hand over the blonde head

Henry forced a small smile in the older man's direction as he fought back the tears that were threatening to fall.

Rossi turned towards Hotch who only shrugged his shoulders.

"I'm going to go check on the others while you two catch up with Henry" the dark haired man said before turning and heading out of the room

Rossi followed Hotch quickly out the door catching the team leader in the hallway, "Aaron what happened?"

"He wants Emily and JJ" Hotch answered

"Ah" the older man replied

"He woke up last night having a nightmare and then a couple hours later he woke up again and asked for Emily, when I told him she was resting he asked for JJ. I had to tell him that they were in their own rooms…then he started crying and blaming himself"

"Aaron-"

"Then he woke up this morning and asked for Emily again. It was basically a rehash of last night. Ever since I told him that they were hurt, along with Declan and Ethan, he has barely acknowledged me and I'm not sure we are going to get much out of him until he can see Emily or JJ"

"Aaron he's seven and he's been through more than any seven year old should have to. He's hurting and he's scared"

"I know" Hotch nodded, "I just can't. So you guys sit with him for awhile. I'll go sit with the others"

Rossi nodded before he watched the team leader turn and walk away. He knew that Hotch was blaming himself for not finding them earlier because he was feeling the same way.

The older man then walked back into Henry's room and saw that the boy was laying back down staring up at Garcia.

"Hey kiddo, we've missed you" he told the youngster as he made his way over to the bed

Henry slowly turned his head towards Rossi and spoke the first words either adult had heard from him since he had woken up.

"I miss my moms" he stated sadly

Rossi sat down on the bed before responding, "I know you do. I miss them too. And I can't wait until all of you guys are awake and talking again"

Henry stared up at the man he considered a grandfather, "Really?"

"Of course. Henry you, your moms, and your brothers are so important to all of us. You are important to me and I love you all so much. I was so scared" he told the boy honestly

Garcia let a few tears flow freely as she listened and watched the interchange between the two.

"Can I tell you a secret?" the seven year old asked

"Of course" Rossi answered

Henry hesitated a moment before the older man spoke up again.

"Come here" Rossi said opening his arms

Henry bit his bottom lip as his brain fought to control his emotions, but his heart won out as the seven year old pushed the covers off of himself and held his arms out to the older man. Rossi reached out and scooped Henry into his arms, cradling him in his lap, his arms wrapped tightly around the boy so that he felt safe, but careful not to pull the IV's out that were still in his hand.

"I've got you kid. And whenever you're ready you can tell me your secret"

Henry turned his head so that he could whisper into Rossi's ear, "I'm scared too Grandpa Dave"

The older man's heart broke at the confession and he tightened his grip on the blonde boy, "It's okay, you're safe now"

Henry let his head rest against the older man's chest as he slowly let his eyes drift shut again, the gentle rocking of Rossi lulling him back to sleep.

The older man looked up to find Garcia still staring at him, her face tear streaked from the scene that had unfolded in front of her. Rossi smiled sadly at the normally exuberant blonde woman who sitting on the bed with him.

They sat in silence for a few more minutes before Henry began to stir in Rossi's arms. Before he could even move, Henry began to flail in his arms before letting out a scream, his eyes popping open.

"MAMA"

Rossi tightened his hold on the seven year old as he began talking to him in a soothing voice, "It's okay Henry, it's okay. You're safe. I've got you. It's okay. You're safe"

Henry began to cry in the older mans arms before squeaking out, "I want my mommy"

"I know you do little man. I know" he replied as he rubbed soothing circles along the small boy's back

"I want…hiccup…mama Em…hiccup"

"Shhh…I know…shhh" Rossi continued as he slowly rocked back and forth

Garcia was at a loss for words as she watched her godson, whom she loved more than life itself, come out of a terrible nightmare, yelling for his mom and crying because that was all that he wanted. She began to cry herself and as she looked at Rossi she saw the older man allow a few tears to run down his cheeks.

"Are they…hiccup…gonna die…hiccup"

Rossi and Garcia both froze at the question, their hearts sinking. The older man kissed the top of Henry's head before answering.

"I don't think so Henry. You're moms are very strong. And they would never leave you kids or each other without a fight"

"Are you gonna…hiccup…see them…hiccup"

"Yes, in a little bit"

"Will you give them…hiccup…a kiss…hiccup…for me? And…hiccup…tell them I…hiccup…love them" he asked

"Of course I will" Rossi assured the small boy

The older man could feel Henry nod against his chest. Then a few minutes later his breathing finally evened out and Rossi knew he had fallen back asleep. He waited a few more minutes before he moved and laid the boy back down in his bed, before pulling the covers up over him.

"Penelope I'm going to go check on everyone else. But I don't think we should leave him alone"

"I don't either. My heart is breaking so much right now" she confessed

Rossi nodded, "I know. Mine too"

"I'll come back in a bit, maybe with Morgan. We can all rotate sitting with him so that when he wakes up he's not alone"

"Okay" the blonde answered

Before Rossi left the room he walked closer to Garcia and bent down, placing a kiss on the top of her head.

"He's going to be alright. We just need to make sure we are there for him as much as possible, especially while Emily and JJ are still unavailable to him"

Garcia nodded before Rossi turned and left the room. Once he was gone Garcia moved closer to Henry, before getting up and lying down next to him, kissing his forehead lightly.

The rest of the day was spent rotating people from one room to the next, minus Garcia who decided she wanted to stay with Henry. Morgan made it down to visit him as well, but it seemed the young boy wasn't very responsive to him either. He did cuddle with Garcia but even she could tell that all he wanted was JJ or Emily, probably both.

By the next day Henry was still the only one who had woken up. Jessica came back up that morning bringing Jack and Penny both up to the hospital with her. Jack was excited to see Henry, and the younger boy did respond slightly better to him.

The doctor came to examine Henry again that morning and deemed him fit for discharge if he was able to keep down his breakfast and lunch. The seven year old only ate a couple of bites of his breakfast and when lunch was served he didn't eat that much more. However, he was able to keep what he did eat down, so the nurse got Henry's discharge papers ready and that afternoon he was officially released from the hospital.

He of course didn't want to leave and after much refusal he finally agreed to go but only with Garcia. The technical analyst was torn between staying at the hospital to watch over the rest of the family and caring for Henry. But she knew JJ and Emily would both want her to put Henry above anything or anyone else at the moment. So she agreed to take Henry home, help him get cleaned up, promising to bring him back later in the evening if anyone woke up.

The analyst also took Penny with her so that she could take a nap. Jessica promised to come and trade out with her, if Henry allowed it, so that she could go back up to the hospital and sit with the rest of the team.

Garcia got the two blonde headed children home. As she carried Penny up the steps to the front porch Henry slowly followed from behind. The little boy was still exhausted, tired, and weak. Luckily the doctor had prescribed some low dose sleeping pills and pain pills for Henry, just in case he had problems sleeping due to nightmares. The pain pills were just in case. His wrists were still swollen, bruised, and cut quite badly and the hospital had encouraged Garcia to still apply cool wraps every couple of hours to help with pain and any more swelling.

Once they were inside Henry went straight up the stairs, Garcia following with Penny. The analyst watched as the seven year old turned left at the top of the stairs, walking towards his room. Garcia turned right heading to the toddlers room to put her down for a nap. Once that was done she headed back down the hallway towards the boy's room. She slowly opened the door to Ethan and Henry's room and spotted the seven year old blonde lying on his stomach on his bed.

"Henry…are you okay?" she asked walking up to the bunk bed

"I'm tired" he stated without looking at her

"Okay. Well do you want to take a bath first?" she asked, knowing his hair hadn't been washed since God knows when

"Uh uh" he answered

"Okay….Well then why don't you rest…and you can take one when you wake up. I'll go see if I can find something for dinner" she told him

She paused, looking at the small boy one last time before turning and heading out of the bedroom. She made her way downstairs to the kitchen, where she opened the fridge, only finding stuff she and Kevin had made earlier in the week. She sighed as she stared into the fridge, before closing the door and leaning against the island behind her. She began to let the tears fall, so worried about this family. A few minutes later she felt something rub against her arm. Turning she saw Sergio, looking at her before rubbing against her again as he perched himself on the island.

"Hi sweet boy" she said as she turned and began to scratch behind the dark cat's ears, "I bet you miss your mama too, huh"

The blonde analyst smiled as the sleek black cat began to purr and meow at her. She then began to cry again as her mind flashed back to five years ago, when Emily 'died' at the hands of Ian Doyle. She remembered taking the cat, feeling like she would have a piece of the brunette agent with her.

She didn't know how long she had been standing there when she heard a small voice behind her.

"Aunt Pen?"

Garcia spun around, tears still streaming down her face from the events from the present and the past. She immediately wiped at her cheeks, but the blonde boy had already heard and seen her.

"Mommy says it's okay to cry" he told his aunt as he looked up at her

Garcia's face remained broken and sad as she stared down at her precious godson unable to say anything.

"I'm kinda hungry" he told her quietly

She nodded turning back to the refrigerator still trying to regain her composure. Then she sighed before turning back around, moving quickly around the island towards Henry, reaching him, bending down and wrapping her arms around him. It took him a moment before he reciprocated, slowly wrapping his arms around her neck.

"Oh Henry, I'm so sorry. I love you _so_ much" she told him before kissing him on the cheek

"I love you too" he replied as he began to cry into her shoulder

They stayed like that for a few minutes before the little boy began to pull out of the embrace. Garcia watched as he rubbed his eyes with the heel of his hands, wincing in pain slightly from the angle of his wrists.

"Oh baby, let's put some wraps around those wrists and then I will make us some dinner" she told him

He nodded as he attempted to climb on the bar stool at the island. Garcia saw his face contort into pain and immediately gripped him under the arm pits to help lift him the rest of the way up onto the stool. Then she grabbed some of the cool wraps out of the freezer and carefully wrapped them around the young boy's wrists. Then she pulled out some frozen chicken nuggets and a box of macaroni and cheese.

She began getting everything ready, turning around to check on Henry every now and then, smiling when she noticed Salem had joined Sergio on the island and both cats were rubbing against Henry. She watched as Henry reached up and began scratching behind both cats ears with each of his hands. When he put his hands back on the island Salem immediately moved forward trying to rub against Henry's face, the sleek gray tail rubbing across the boy's nose, causing him to smile slightly. Sergio simply moved, choosing to curl up next to Henry's arm.

Garcia finished up the food, getting Henry's plate ready for him, and pouring him a glass of chocolate milk to go along with it. Then she got her plate ready, before shooing the cats off of the island and placing Henry's plate and drink down in front of him, before joining him in the seat beside him.

The seven year old stared down at his plate and the blonde analyst watched him, waiting to make sure he was actually going to eat something. When he didn't budge she began to think about what could be wrong.

"Henry did you want some ketchup for your nuggets?" she asked

He only shook his head and that's when she saw the tear fall from his face onto the island.

"Sweetie what's wrong?" she asked as she wrapped an arm around his small shoulders

He took a minute before he answered, still not looking up at her.

"This is Mama Em's favorite food" he told her quietly

Garcia's heart broke again, cursing herself for being so forgetful.

"Oh baby…I'm sorry…I…I don't know how I forgot" she told him as she pulled him against her side

"It's okay…It's my favorite too…I just miss her and mommy" he responded

"I know you do sweetie…I know…But they wouldn't want you to be sad. And they would definitely want you to keep eating" she told him

He nodded slightly before sitting back up in his chair, picking up his fork and scooping up some macaroni and cheese. Before he took a bite he looked back at his blonde aunt.

"Can I have ketchup?" he asked sweetly

"Of course" she answered with a smile as she got up and retrieved the desired bottle

She slowly ate her food as she watched Henry do the same. He didn't finish his entire plate, but he ate better than he had earlier in the day. Once that was finished she began to do the dishes.

"Aunt Pen can I take a bath now?" he asked her

She turned around and gave a small nod to the boy.

"Why don't you get your clothes and I will go start your bath" she told him

He nodded as he slipped off of the stool and headed out of the kitchen towards the stairs. She followed only a moment later as she headed towards the boy's bathroom. At about the time the bath was filled Henry came into the bathroom quietly, his pajamas in his arms.

"Do you want any help?" she asked him

He shook his head no and waited for her to leave the bathroom. While he was in there she went down the hall to check on Penny who was still napping peacefully. Then she went back downstairs to feed the cats. A few minutes later she was sitting on the couch, when she turned towards the stairs, seeing Henry come down in his red spiderman pajama pants and a blue tshirt.

"Hey my precious. Feel better?" she asked

He shrugged his shoulders as he walked towards her, sitting down on the couch next to her and leaning into her side.

Meanwhile back at the hospital Rossi was sitting with Emily, Morgan was with JJ, Kevin was with Ethan, and Hotch was with Declan.

While Hotch was sitting with the teenage boy he began to hear a moaning sound. He looked over at the blonde and saw his head slowly moving back and forth, his mouth moving, mumbling quietly.

The dark haired agent leaned forward placing his hand over Declan's uninjured left one.

"Declan, it's okay. You can open your eyes. It's Hotch" he told the teenager calmly

The blonde continued to mumble and Hotch was finally able to understand what he was saying. The teenager was mumbling the word mom. The leader sighed, knowing when they had found Declan he was unconscious next to JJ, who was also unconscious.

"Hey Dec, come one, wake up for me buddy" he coaxed the sixteen year old

Slowly Declan began to stop stirring and mumbling and Hotch froze, not knowing what had happened. But then, slowly, Declan began to open his eyes, blinking a few times as he looked at his surroundings. Then his face contorted in pain and his eyes closed again. Hotch noticed and immediately stood up to look down at the blonde teenager.

"Declan, buddy, are you in pain?" he asked gently

All the teenager could do was nod his head, his eyes still closed. He placed a gentle hand on Declan's forehead as he replied.

"Okay hang on"

Then he turned and pressed the call button for the nurse. A few seconds later a nurse came rushing in but seemed relieved when she noticed the teenager was awake.

"Hey there sport. How are you feeling?" she asked as she walked up to the bed

"He's in pain" Hotch stated

The nurse nodded before responding, "Okay well let me get the doctor so he can check you out and then we will get you something for the pain"

Hotch nodded, "thank you"

The nurse turned and left the room in search of the doctor. Hotch then turned and placed his hand back on top of Declan's left one.

"Declan, what's hurting?" he asked

The boy finally opened his eyes, but his face still showed nothing but pain.

"Mom" was the only word that came out of his mouth

"Declan, listen to me, your moms are going to be okay. But right now we need to focus on you and get you taken care of, okay"

He shook his head, "Mom…was…hurt…I tried…but I don't…know"

Immediately the teenager's heart rate sped up as he tried to talk about his mothers. Hotch gripped his hand and tried to calm him down.

"Okay, Declan, calm down. You need to relax"

Again the teenager shook his head, "She was…fighting…with him…that's all…I remember"

Hotch took a moment, thinking about what he was saying and he realized the boy was referring to Emily. Declan must have seen some of the fight between Doyle and the brunette woman and passed out sometime during the fight.

"Okay Declan, listen to me, okay" he said getting the blonde boy to turn his head in Hotch's direction, "Emily is still here in the hospital also, but so far she is okay"

Declan swallowed and nodded as he closed his eyes before opening them and staring back up at Hotch, "JJ? She was shot and-"

"Hey, she's here also, okay. And so far she is…okay" he told the teenager who again nodded

"Can…I see them?" he questioned looking up at the dark agent

Hotch sighed before shaking his head, "Sorry buddy, they are still in ICU and you can't really go anywhere yet"

"Why?" he questioned

"Declan they are both still unconscious"

"Oh"

There was silence in the room before Declan looked back up into the brown eyes of the man who had become an uncle over the years.

"I want to see them" he told him, his cerulean blues looking determined

"Let's just see what the doctor says first" Hotch replied

He heard the teenager sigh as he closed his eyes again.

"Declan" Hotch said, getting the boy to open his eyes and look back up at him

As Declan stared up at the man he could see relief across the agent's face.

"I'm glad you're awake and…okay, for the most part" Hotch said sincerely

Declan nodded slightly before speaking again, "Ethan and Henry?"

"Ethan is down the hall in ICU, he's still unconscious. But Henry was released earlier this afternoon and he's at home with Garcia trying to rest"

Declan nodded, "But Henry's okay?"

Hotch nodded, "For the most part. He wasn't hurt too bad"

Before they could continue the conversation the nurse and doctor came strolling into the room.

"Well, good evening young man, how are you feeling?" the doctor asked as he walked over to the bed and looked down at Declan

"He's in pain" Hotch answered for the teenager

The doctor looked at the dark haired man before turning his attention back to his patient, "What's hurting?"

"My shoulder and back" Declan answered

"That's to be expected. I removed the bullet that was lodged in your shoulder blade, but there were some torn tendons I had to fix when I was in there as well. That shoulder is going to be quite sore for awhile. We will get you some pain meds and get you shifted in bed so that you aren't laying on it, okay"

The teenager nodded before asking, "Am I still going to be able to play sports?"

The doctor looked back down at the teenager and could see the worry in his blue eyes. The doctor nodded before answering.

"You have a long recovery ahead of you with your shoulder and your wrist, which I'm sure you realize is broken. And while you will always have some pain associated with your shoulder during certain activities I believe if you work hard enough that, yes, you will be able to play sports again"

Declan nodded as the doctor sent the nurse to get some pain meds. Then the doctor grabbed some extra pillows to place behind the teenager once they got him repositioned. When the nurse returned she handed Declan a cup with a couple of pills in it that he took and washed down with a cup of water.

"Okay Declan Heather and I are going to help roll you onto your left side to take the pressure off of your shoulder. Then we are going to place some extra pillows behind you just in case you do roll backwards, it will stop you from rolling completely onto the shoulder. You ready?"

Declan nodded so the doctor and nurse each began to roll him onto his side. Hotch watched as the blonde teenager fought to control the pain that was etched across his face as they moved him and the dark haired agent's heart began to break for him.

"Okay, now that medicine you just took is going to knock you out in a few minutes and you will probably sleep for another few hours. But when you wake up if you press the button the nurse will come in and check on you. I would like for you to try to eat something once you wake up to make sure you can keep some food down. That way we can stop the fluids we have going into you right now"

"Okay" Declan answered weakly

"Other than that everything is looking good. So I will let you rest"

The doctor turned to leave the room and the teenager spoke up again, "Wait I have a question"

"What's that?" he asked turning to face the teenage patient

"Can I go visit my moms?" Declan asked hopefully

The doctor's heart went out to the boy. He knew the story behind what had happened to this family and knew they were all FBI agents.

"Not tonight. Let's focus on you getting food in you and resting some more and we can talk more about that possibility tomorrow" he answered

The blonde teenager bit his bottom lip, fighting back the tears that wanted to fall, not only from the pain he was feeling in his shoulder, but because all he wanted was to see for himself that his moms were okay. He couldn't find any words to answer the doctor so he just gave a small nod, before the doctor and nurse both turned and left the room.

"Declan" Hotch began as he stepped closer to the bed

The teenager didn't stop the tears this time. He closed his eyes as a few tears ran down his cheeks.

"Declan they are going to be alright" he told the boy

"Promise?" he questioned as he opened his eyes which were now slightly red

Hotch paused a moment before responding, "I can promise you that right now they are okay"

Declan nodded as he began to feel the pain meds kick in. Before he closed his eyes he looked up at Hotch.

"Will you go check on them for me? And give them both a kiss and tell them I love them? Ethan too?" the teenager asked

"You don't want me to stay?" Hotch asked

Declan shook his head lightly, "I'm going to fall asleep anyways. I'll be okay. But I really want you to tell them all that"

Hotch put on his stoic face and nodded, "Okay. I'll be back later"

"Okay" Declan nodded before he closed his eyes again and let himself fall back into a slumber

Once Hotch was positive Declan had fallen asleep, he left the room and headed down the hall to Ethan's room first. He found Kevin asleep in a chair next to the eleven year old's bed. He walked up to the bed and took the brunette boy's hand in his own, giving it a slight squeeze.

"Hey Ethan, it's Uncle Aaron again. I wanted to let you know that Declan just woke up. Other than being in a little pain he's doing well. And I'm sure someone told you that Henry went home with Penelope earlier this afternoon"

He paused as he looked down at the small boy's body, having to shake the thought of Jack lying there instead of Ethan.

"Declan wanted me to tell you that he loves you and I'm pretty sure as soon as the doctor says he can move around, he will be in here to visit you himself. But for now I am the messenger"

He then bent down and placed a kiss on the Ethan's forehead before squeezing his hand one last time.

"I'm going to go check on your moms again, but I'll be back" he told the eleven year old before he turned and left the room

The team leader then turned and headed out of the pediatric ICU and to the floor where Emily and JJ were both located.

Hotch entered JJ's room first, finding Morgan in his wheelchair next to the blonde's bed, his dark hand covering JJ's.

"How's she doing Morgan?" Hotch asked as he walked up beside the dark agent

"No change, but I guess that's to be expected. The doctor said he should know more tomorrow and that if the swelling has gone down they might bring her out of the coma" he answered

"That's good news" Hotch responded

"Yeah _if_ the swelling goes down" replied Morgan

"Derek" Hotch said in a warning tone

"Hotch it's true. We don't know what's going to happen. Between Emily and JJ…and the boys…I just"

"I know Morgan. I'm scared too. But I came in here to tell you and JJ that Declan woke up earlier" the leader stated

Morgan finally turned to face Hotch, who had a small smile on his face.

"Really?" the dark agent asked

Hotch nodded, "He's in quite a bit of pain. But he remembers what happened and he was worried about Emily and JJ. He wanted me to come up here and check on them. And tell them a few things"

Morgan nodded, "Can I go see him?"

Hotch shook his head, "He's sleeping again. The doctor gave him some pain meds and it knocked him out. He'll probably be asleep for another few hours"

"When you are finished visiting with JJ and Emily, do you mind if I go sit with Declan for awhile and you sit with JJ?" the dark agent asked

Hotch nodded, "Sure Morgan"

The dark skinned man just nodded before turning his attention back to JJ. Hotch then stepped closer to the bed before running the back of his fingers gently over JJ's cheek.

"Hey JJ. I just came from Declan's room and I wanted to let you know that he's awake and he's doing okay"

Morgan continued to hold JJ's hand as he listened to Hotch speak to the blonde.

"Anyways he was very adamant about me coming to check on you. And he wanted me to tell you that he loves you and that as soon as the doctor tells him it's okay, he will be down here to visit you"

"He also wanted me to give you this" Hotch said before leaning down and placing a light kiss on the blonde's cheek.

"I'm sure Morgan told you that Henry got to go home today. Garcia took him and Penny back to the house so that he could sleep in his own bed. He's doing okay JJ, but more than anything, he wants you and Emily. So you better fight for him…for all of them"

"I'm going to go share the news with Emily, but I'll be back in a bit" Hotch told the unconscious blonde woman as he bent down and placed a kissed to her forehead

Hotch nodded at Morgan before he turned and left the room, heading down to Emily's. When he entered the room he found Rossi holding onto Emily's right hand and staring intently at her.

"Dave" Hotch said as he stepped inside the room

The older man didn't respond so Hotch spoke louder, "Dave"

Rossi flinched before turning his attention towards the team leader who was now standing beside him.

"Sorry" the older man said

"Are you okay Dave?"

"Are you Aaron?"

Both men were silent for a few minutes before Hotch spoke up again.

"Any change?"

Rossi shook his head, "No. I've been talking to her about the kids, the team, my ex-wives. Everything, but I haven't gotten her to respond to anything. I've even been talking to her in Italian"

Hotch smiled at the last part before Rossi continued.

"The only thing she responded to in the slightest was when I told her Henry had gotten to go home with Garcia earlier. Her heart rate increased somewhat, but she still didn't wake up"

"Maybe what I have to say will help" stated Hotch as he looked from Emily to Rossi

The older man raised his eyebrows before Hotch smiled slightly as he turned back to the brunette woman lying on the hospital bed.

"Emily, I wanted to let you know that Declan is awake. He's going to be okay. He has a long road of physical therapy ahead, but I could say the same thing about you…His first concern when he woke up was you and JJ"

As the team leader spoke Emily's heart rate jumped up again at the mention of her teenage son. Rossi and Hotch looked at one another, both revealing a small smile.

"He wanted me to come check on you two and to let you know that he loves you"

"He also wanted me to give you this" Hotch stated as he leaned down and placed a kiss on Emily's cheek

"Emily you have to keep fighting dammit. We are ready to see your beautiful smile and those dark eyes of yours" Rossi told the woman he viewed as a daughter

"Declan wanted me to tell you that as soon as the doctor allows him to get up and move around that his first stop is going to be to visit his mothers. And there's not a doubt in my mind he will do just that" Hotch said

"Morgan wants to go sit with Declan for awhile so I'm going to take him down there and then come back up here and sit with JJ for awhile" Hotch told the older man

Rossi nodded at the dark haired agent before nodding towards the door. Hotch returned the nod, turning back to Emily first.

"I'll be back to visit with you in awhile" he said before turning and following the older man out of the room

"How is he really?" Rossi asked, referring to Declan

Hotch sighed, "He was in a lot of pain and all he really wanted was to see JJ and Emily. The doctor gave him some pain meds that knocked him out and they have him positioned on his side so that the pressure is off of his back and shoulder"

Rossi nodded as he thought about the kind hearted sixteen year old.

"I'm just so angry Dave, all of this that happened. And we have no idea what even went down inside that warehouse. Declan obviously saw some of the fight between Doyle and Emily because that was his first concern. And then when you mentioned Henry's reaction when he woke up. I just don't know"

"Believe me Aaron I'm angry too. These people they came into our lives and went after the people we care about the most, our family. The only good thing that came out of this is that most of them are dead"

"And what about the ones who lived?"

"I believe there was only one and with all of the charges he's going to have against him, he won't be getting out of prison ever" Rossi responded

Hotch nodded as he turned to look through the glass at Emily. Then he turned back to Rossi.

"I'm going to go take Morgan to Declan and then I'll be back up here with JJ, if you want to take turns going between the rooms"

Rossi nodded before turning to walk back into Emily's room.

Meanwhile back at the Prentiss-Jareau house Garcia had finally gotten Henry to bed, convincing him to take some of the medicine to help him sleep. Then she got Penny fed, bathed, and put back to bed before calling Kevin to check on the status of the rest of the family at the hospital.

The analyst then got herself ready for bed. As she made her way around her friends' bedroom her heart began to break again as she looked at a picture of their entire BAU family on the women's dresser. It had been taken about a year ago, a couple months after Penny had been born. The blonde smiled as she remembered the day the two women had invited everyone over for a backyard barbecue. JJ was still on maternity leave and she had mentioned to Emily how much she was missing everyone, so the brunette took the initiative and invited everyone over for a Saturday get together.

The blonde analyst remembered the chaos that ensued once the camera had been set up in the living room and she announced that they would be taking a family portrait. Numerous moans were heard; no doubt from a couple of the kids and of course a couple of the adults. But she managed to rope everyone in as she began directing people on where to sit. She had to deny everyone's request to hold the baby, deeming only Emily and JJ as the ones to hold her.

Garcia continued to smile at the picture remembering how she positioned Emily and JJ in the middle of the dark leather couch, Rossi beside Emily and Reid beside JJ. Before she could even direct anyone else Morgan had already jumped onto the couch, sitting on the back of it, directly behind Emily, while Hotch claimed the back of the couch directly behind JJ. Garcia remembered shaking her head at the two men, telling them that meant that she and Kevin had to sit on the back of the couch as well and that they would not be able to sit next to one another. However she was at a loss when both Hotch and Morgan refused to move. Then she remembered Morgan making some comment about how she would rather sit next to his sexy body anyway.

She laughed out loud as she looked at the picture seeing herself perched on the back of the couch, next to Morgan and behind Rossi, while her boyfriend Kevin sat next to Hotch and behind Reid. They then ordered all of the little kids on the floor in front of the couch. Declan chose to lean more against the front arm of the couch since he was bigger than the other kids. Henry sat next to him, situated between Emily and Rossi's legs, while Jack sat between JJ and Reid's legs, and Ethan sat next to Jack.

Garcia shook that day from her mind as she turned to walk into the bathroom. When she came back out Henry was standing next to his mothers' bed. Garcia jumped, not expecting anyone to be standing there.

"Henry, what's wrong?" she asked as she walked up to the seven year old

"I..I can't sleep" he stated as he continued to stare at the bed

"Henry are you tired?" the analyst asked

He nodded but didn't answer the question.

"Did you maybe have a bad dream?" she asked gently

The blonde boy shrugged his shoulders but still didn't say anything.

"Oh H, come here my precious little man" she said as she sat on the bed and opened her arms to the small boy

He hesitated at first but then slowly made his way into her arms, letting the blonde analyst wrap her arms around him and hold him tightly.

"You want to tell me about it?" she asked, hoping he would open up

He shook his head into her shoulder and she bit back the tears as she rubbed soothing circles on his back. She held him for a few more minutes before she gently asked the next question.

"Did you have a bad dream about your moms H?"

He nodded into her shoulder and she bit her bottom lip to stop the tears before she began talking to him again.

"Your moms are going to be okay champ. They are trying to get better in the hospital right now"

She got no response from the seven year old so she asked him another question.

"Do you want to sleep in here with me tonight?"

He nodded again into her shoulder before pulling out of her embrace and climbing carefully up onto the bed, snuggling into the side where JJ usually slept. Garcia sighed as she watched the little boy before she turned out the lights and climbed into bed beside him.

Back at the hospital Morgan had been escorted back to his room by one of the nurses. Hotch then took up post at Emily's bed side, Kevin with JJ, and Rossi split time between Declan and Ethan.

Hotch was asleep in a chair beside Emily's bed, his head resting on her bed when he was jarred awake by a high pitch beeping noise. He leapt out of his seat when he realized it was her heart monitor and that she had stopped breathing. Before he could do anything nurses were swarming the room, pushing him out of the way, followed by a doctor. Hotch watched in horror as they attempted to shock her back to life. After two shocks they were able to get her back but as the dark haired agent watched the doctor pushed a tube down her throat attaching it to a ventilator to help her breathe.

Once the doctors and nurses finished the doctor stepped up to Hotch.

"We went ahead and attached her to a ventilator just to be safe. So it's going to help her breathe in a controlled manner"

"I don't…I don't understand. She was fine" the team leader said still in shock

The doctor nodded, "Sometimes things like this happen. You have to remember her body has been through a very traumatic event. Sometimes it takes a couple of days for parts of the body to register all of the trauma and then the body reacts and in cases like this begins to shut down, plus her body is fighting a severe infection"

"But…is she…is she going to be alright?" Hotch questioned, his fears coming to surface

The doctor looked at the dark haired man before he spoke, "At this point I'm still sticking with what I told you the other day. It's up to her. She is going to have to fight harder. We definitely got her back a lot faster this time than when we were wheeling her into surgery, but I don't know what else to tell you. Maybe she needs someone to fight for"

"She has several reasons to fight. The only problem is that three of those reasons are in this hospital also, two who are still unconscious, and the other one isn't allowed to leave his ICU room because he just woke up earlier in the day. And the other two reasons are too young to be in here"

The doctor nodded and was silent for a moment before he looked over at the brunette woman lying in the hospital bed.

"How old are the two who are too young to be in here?" the doctor asked

Hotch looked at the doctor, confusion on his face, but he still answered, "Almost two and seven"

"Hmmm, tell you what. Let me talk to the teenager's doctor"

Hotch raised his eyebrows at the doctor who just smiled, "Word gets around. Her son is the one who came in with the GSW to his shoulder and a broken wrist, correct?"

Hotch nodded, his eyebrows still raised in astonishment.

"We want nothing more than for your agents and their family to get better. So I will talk to the teenager's doctor and see if we can bring him down here for a visit. Maybe if she can hear his voice she will at least know he's okay"

Hotch nodded, "Thank you. I think they will both appreciate it"

The doctor nodded before turning and leaving the room. Hotch then walked back up to Emily's bed and took her uninjured hand in his.

"Come on Prentiss. You are stronger than this, I know you are. You better stop scaring the crap out of me like this. I don't know how much more I can take. So you better fight. That's an order" he told her as he squeezed her hand

The team leader did not sleep much more that night, instead keeping a constant vigil over the brunette agent he had grown to love and respect over the years.

The next morning Rossi and Morgan were both furious at Hotch for not telling them the night before about everything that had transpired with Emily. After much convincing to both of the other men Hotch finally relented and let the both of them sit with the brunette agent for awhile. He then headed down to Reid's room for awhile to see how the young doctor was doing.

When Hotch entered the room he smiled seeing Reid eating his entire plate of food and being able to stay awake through it.

"How are you feeling Reid?" the team leader asked as he pulled a chair up beside the young man

"Better. My appetite is back and I'm not as tired as I was previously. However my pain levels keep fluctuating which isn't surprising given the nature of my injuries. The death rate among people with punctured lungs is actually quite staggering and the recovery rate is usually-"

The young doctor abruptly stopped talking when he saw the way his team leader was looking at him.

"Ummm, Hotch, are you okay?"

"Yes, Reid, I'm fine. Why?"

"Well I just realized that I was beginning to ramble and that I was about to start spouting out facts and…you didn't try to stop me…Plus you're looking at me weird"

The dark haired agent let out a light chuckle as he looked at the young doctor, "Reid I'm just happy to see you this animated. And honestly we have all missed you spouting out statistics"

Reid smiled before he saw Hotch's smile drop as the dark haired agent looked down at the floor.

"Hotch what is it?"

"Nothing…Rossi and I were talking the other day about how we missed both you and Emily's random factual intellect. She was really the only one who could give you a run for your money, you know"

Reid nodded as he thought about the brunette agent. Someone who had always been there for him even when he didn't want her help. The true epitome of friendship. He saddened as he realized he still had no idea what had transpired other than that she and JJ were somewhere in this hospital. He had been so doped up the last few days he only remembered bits and pieces of the conversations people had around him. Now that he was more coherent he wanted the truth.

"Hotch…how are they…really?" he asked as he looked at his boss

The older man turned to look into the eyes of the young genius and sighed.

"Honestly Reid, not good" he answered

Reid nodded as he waited for Hotch to continue. When the team leader finally finished catching the younger agent up to speed Reid just stared at Hotch in disbelief.

"Reid?"

"I just…I don't even know what to say"

"I know. But we have to believe. We have to have faith"

Reid nodded again before he questioned Hotch, "How's Henry doing? I mean since he's been home?"

Hotch was silent for a moment, realizing that he hadn't checked in with Garcia and internally wincing, knowing that he had yet to tell her about Emily's change in status.

"Honestly I don't know. I haven't talked to Garcia yet this morning"

"So she doesn't know about Emily?" the younger agent questioned

Hotch shook his head as he looked back at Reid, seeing a smile forming across the young genius' face.

"What?" the dark haired agent asked

"I think you should make the phone call now, so that I can witness the wrath of the 'All Knowing Goddess'" he replied

"Very funny Dr Reid" Hotch responded as he got up

"I guess I should call her" he said pulling out his phone

"Be sure to ask about Henry" Reid reminded him

Hotch nodded at the younger agent, but he would never forget to ask about the small blonde boy, who face and actions nearly broke his heart the day he had woken up.

Garcia heard her phone ring while she was trying to feed Penny breakfast. Jumping up quickly she knocked most of the mush and cheerios off of the toddlers high chair tray causing the one year old to laugh and point at the mess that was now on the floor.

Garcia groaned as she answered the phone but then couldn't help a smile as she looked at the innocent blonde toddler, who was giggling happily, unaware that both of her mothers were injured in the hospital.

As the blonde analyst listened to Hotch recount the events from the night before surrounding Emily, it took everything she had to control the tears and the anger she was feeling. Once Hotch had finished with his side he had to pull the phone away from his ear as Garcia yelled at him through the phone. Once she had finished her rant, the concern for her brunette friend began to come out.

"Hotch how is she…really?" Garcia asked, wanting to know the truth

"The doctor said he still had faith, but that she needed to fight harder. It's still up to her Garcia"

"Is there anything we can do?" the blonde questioned

"Just what we have been doing…Talking to her, reading to her…The doctor said he was going to talk to Declan's doctor to see if they could wheel him down here just for a short visit. He thought it would be good if she could at least hear one of her kids voices, to know that he was really alright. And it will probably be good for Declan too" Hotch informed her

"Will it really be good for him Hotch? He's just a kid…I mean to see her like that-"

"Penelope he's not a kid anymore. He's sixteen. And he's been through hell. He was there and witnessed, I think, more than even we know. He's seen and experienced things that kids should not have to. Knowing that he saw Emily fighting with Doyle and from what little he's said, he saw, or at least knew that JJ was shot. But that was obvious since we found him laying next to her-"

"Okay stop. I really can't handle any more information that you are giving me in regards to my beautiful blonde athlete…I just don't want him to have to see her like that"

"I know. But he's seen both of his mothers in the hospital before. And I think he needs to see her for himself so that he knows that she really is still alive. Because at this point I'm not sure he believes much of what we have been telling him"

"I guess you're right" she conceded sadly

There was a moment of silence over the phone before Hotch finally asked about the seven year old.

"How's Henry doing?"

Garcia turned around to check her surroundings before she began talking about the small boy, only to find him standing next to Penny's high chair, staring at her while she was on the phone, tears in his eyes.

"Oh no…Hotch…I" the blonde analyst began

"Garcia what is it?" Hotch asked as he heard her gasp

The blonde continued to hold the phone in her hand as she stared at the seven year old blonde headed boy, staring back at her with sad eyes.

"Henry…how long have you been there?" she asked

"Is my mommy dying?" he asked as tears began to slide down his cheeks

"Oh Henry. No baby" she said as she moved towards him, the phone still in her hand

"Is it Mama Em then?" he asked as she got closer

"No baby. No one is dying" she told him as she attempted to reach out to him

Instead of consenting to her hug he pulled away and stepped backwards, shaking his head.

"I don't believe you" he told her

"Henry I promise you no one has died. Your mom is still in the hospital" she told him as she began to shake, seeing how scared her godson was

"I wanna see them" he demanded as he stomped his foot

"Sweetheart I know you do but-"

She was cut off by a high pitch scream that emanated from the seven year old boy. Garcia jumped, dropping the phone, completely caught off guard by the small boy's reaction. She watched, horrified, as he screamed before turning and throwing himself onto the hardwood floor, banging his hands and feet on the ground in a full blown tantrum.

The analyst was at a loss as she tried to make her body catch up with her mind on what to do. She quickly bent down and picked up the phone. Hanging it up so she could concentrate fully on her godson. She made her way carefully to him before kneeling down next to him and wrapping her arms around him. He continued to flail his arms and legs, catching her in the stomach with one of his legs and one of his hands hitting her in the face. She was finally able to wrap her arms tightly around the seven year old, bringing him onto her lap and rocking him back and forth to try and soothe him.

"I want my mom" he continued to cry over and over as the tears streamed down not only his face but also Garcia's

At the same time as Henry continued to yell Penny then began screaming and crying from her high chair. Garcia was so overwhelmed and at a complete loss she began to cry herself. She tried her best to ignore the toddler because she knew that right now her primary focus and concern needed to be with the seven year old boy in her arms. The little boy who was normally so happy and loveable, constantly giving out hugs and kisses, but had now been reduced to tantrums and nightmares.

"I know sweetie. I know"

He finally began to calm down, the hiccups slowly starting to drown out. Garcia struggled carefully, trying to pick the small boy up. After a couple of attempts she finally managed to get him into her arms, questioning to herself how Emily and JJ both managed to pick him up like it was nothing.

'Oh wait, technical genius, they are strong, muscular, badass FBI agents. That's why they pick him up like he weighs nothing. Sheesh, he's not even that big…Focus Penelope…Focus' she told herself as she carried Henry over to the couch and laid him down

Once she was positive he was asleep she made her way back into the kitchen where she found Penny, her eyes red from crying, still sitting in her high chair and sniffling.

"I'm sorry munchkin. You're brother really needed me" she said as she lifted the blonde toddler out of the high chair and hugged her close

Penny sniffled a little more as Garcia carried her around the kitchen, conceding to pulling out a jar of applesauce and pouring a bowl of cheerios for the toddler. Then she placed Penny back in the high chair and poured the cheerios on the tray, setting the applesauce on the tray with a pink plastic spoon. She then bent down and placed a kiss to the top of the toddler's short blonde hair before walking around her back to where she dropped her phone.

She picked up the phone and redialed Hotch as she walked back towards the living room, making sure Henry was still asleep on the couch. She saw that he was still breathing evenly just as the team leader answered his phone.

"Garcia what happened? Is everyone alright?" Hotch asked as he answered the phone

The analyst shook her head even though he could not see her, "No…No of course it's not Hotch. I can't do this…Henry just had a major tantrum…Then Penny started…There's food everywhere…And I don't…I just don't…I can't-"

Hotch cut her off before she could continue, "Garcia it's okay. Jessica and Jack are on their way over there to help you out, okay"

Garcia began to let the tears fall again as she nodded, "Okay"

"I'm sorry Penelope" Hotch told her, the emotion evident in his voice

"Me too" she answered before hanging up the phone

Back at the hospital Hotch hung up with Garcia and sighed as he ran one hand through his hair. He was still in Reid's room and the genius was just as concerned.

"Hotch?"

The leader turned to the younger agent, trying to fight back his emotions.

"They are okay…I guess…Henry just had a tantrum and I guess it set Penny off…Garcia's just a bit overwhelmed"

"I'm sure she is. On top of not being here with everybody, knowing what's going on constantly. She's having to take care of a toddler who has no idea what's going on and a seven year old, who more than likely threw a tantrum because he wants to see his mom"

"Thanks Reid, I kind of already figured that out" Hotch snapped

"Sorry"

The team leader sighed again for snapping at the younger man.

"No I'm sorry Reid. I'm just…overwhelmed and I really have no idea what to do" he confessed as he sat down in the chair beside the doctor's bed

Reid nodded as he looked at Hotch, "Could you help me get in a wheelchair. I want to go visit everyone"

Hotch turned towards the younger agent and shook his head, "No way, Reid, you have a punctured lung and a broken leg. There is no way I am helping you get into a wheelchair. And there is no way a doctor is going to consent to it either"

"Hotch I'm fine" the younger man began to argue

"No Reid, you aren't fine. I am not risking your life just so that you can visit them. I know you want to, but you can't. Not right now"

The genius sighed as he dropped his head back against his pillow, "Now I know how the boys feel"

"What?"

"Nothing" Reid murmured

"No, what did you say?" the leader questioned, wanting the young man to repeat it, even though he was fairly certain of what he said

"Hotch-"

"Reid, listen, I'm not trying to be harsh. I just don't want anything to happen to you. I'm still overwhelmed by everything"

"I know. I just…I really want to see them. Especially since you told me about Emily" the younger agent stated sadly

Hotch's heart sank, knowing that he would feel the same way as Reid if their roles were reversed.

"Look, Reid, I will talk to the doctors, but I doubt they are going to want you moving, let alone rolling in a wheelchair to a different floor. But I promise I'll ask. For now will you please just try to relax and rest"

"How am I supposed to do that when my friends are lying in the same hospital as me and I can't even see for myself that they are okay"

Hotch started to say something but bit his tongue as he thought about Henry and Declan, both boys not being able to see their mothers. He sighed again as he slumped back into the chair.

"Reid can I ask you a question"

The younger man nodded.

"Do you think it would help Henry, or hurt him, if we let him see Emily and JJ?"

Reid thought for a moment and began to open his mouth only to be cut off by Hotch before he even answered.

"And please don't give me a bunch of statistics or a drawn out answer. Just give me your personal opinion"

Reid closed his mouth and thought again before he answered, "I think that while Emily and JJ both have extensive injuries, from what you have described, that for Henry, at this point, all he wants is to know for himself that his moms are okay. And while he will most likely be scarred from seeing both of his moms the way they are. I think he's already seen more than any seven year old should-"

"We don't know that for sure Reid. For all we know he could have been locked away in the room we found him in the entire time Doyle had him"

"Even if that is the case. He was still very aware of the kidnappings. And you said he was having nightmares. So he had to have witnessed some trauma"

"Okay"

"I think at this point Henry has a right to see his moms, to see for himself that even though they aren't technically okay, they are alive"

Hotch nodded, "Okay, thanks. I promise I will talk to the doctor. But for now I need to go check in on Declan and then talk to the doctors about Henry"

Reid nodded as he watched Hotch walk out of his room.

Hotch made his way to Declan's room and found the blonde teenager awake, sitting up, obviously in pain, trying to eat some breakfast.

"Hey Declan" Hotch said forcing a smile on his face

"Hey" the teenager replied as he struggled to scoop some cereal into his spoon with his left hand

Hotch quickly made his way over to the boy, "You need some help?"

Declan stared at Hotch slightly embarrassed before answering, "No I can do it. I just need a little practice using my left hand. And judging by everything I've been told I'm going to have to use my left hand for quite awhile"

Hotch nodded as he pulled a chair up next to the teenager's bed, trying not to stare as the boy began feeding himself slowly.

"How are you feeling?" the dark haired man asked

"My shoulder is killing me, but I haven't had my pain pills yet this morning. They wanted me to eat first"

Hotch nodded, "Well did you get any sleep?"

Declan nodded as he finished the last of his cereal before pushing the bowl out of the way, "Yeah but only because I was doped up. I woke up and was in pain, but the nurse came in right away and pumped me full of more pain killers"

The two were silent for a few minutes as Declan stared at his tray. He then turned to Hotch with a questioning look.

"Ummm, could you open my orange juice for me…please" the teenager asked

"Of course" the older man answerd as he leaned forward, picking up the container of orange juice and peeling the top off before placing it back on the tray

Hotch looked at the tray and noticed there was still a plate of pancakes and a banana sitting there. It looked like there had been either bacon or sausage but that had already been eaten. The team leader then realized that Declan had eaten everything that he was capable of eating without having to use two hands. He figured the teenager hadn't tried cutting the pancakes with just one hand because the movement would most likely jar his other shoulder.

"Declan would you like me to cut up your pancakes and peel the banana for you?" he asked the teenager

The blonde blushed, slightly embarrassed, but nodded, "Please"

Hotch smiled and nodded as he stood up and began cutting up the pancakes. Once he was finished with that he peeled the banana down enough so that Declan could eat it. Then he sat back down and watched as the teenager began to eat a few bites of the pancakes before moving on to the banana. Once he finished the banana Declan pushed the plate away before finishing the rest of his juice. Hotch then stood up and slid the table tray over to the wall, out of Declan's way. He noticed the teenager didn't eat much of the pancakes.

"Pancakes not very good?" he questioned as he moved back to his seat

Declan shook his head, "Nope. Definitely not moms, especially because when JJ's not paying attention Emily will throw some chocolate chips into the batter"

Hotch watched as the teenager smiled slightly.

"Really?" the dark haired man questioned

Declan nodded, "Yeah a couple weeks ago Mama J was making some pancakes and she stepped away from the batter to go change Penny in the living room. Mama Em and Henry had just woken up and come downstairs and Mama Em saw the batter left unattended. She poured a whole bag of chocolate chips into it"

Hotch smiled along with Declan as he recounted the memory. He also smiled at the way Declan described Emily and JJ. He knew he usually called both of them mom, but when distinguishing between the two he would use the term mama and then whichever woman it was. And as Hotch listened to him he didn't see a sixteen year old sitting in front of him, he saw the eleven year old boy that he met nearly five years ago.

"Really? And what did JJ do?" the dark haired man asked curiosly

Declan smiled as he answered, "Well by the time she made it back into the kitchen with Penny, Mama Emily was sitting at the bar with a cup of coffee, reading the comic section with Ethan, and Henry was sitting on the other side of her, drinking his chocolate milk and leaning into her. They all looked so innocent. I was sitting on the island, where I could see all of the reactions. Mama J put Penny back in the high chair and she moved back to the batter. She picked it up and turned towards the stove with it to start cooking the pancakes. I was watching her and she kind of just froze as she stared down into the bowl. Then she turned around with the bowl still in her hand and a smirk on her face as she stared at Mama Em."

Declan continued to smile as he recanted the memory:

"_Emily Prentiss. I can't leave you alone for five minutes can I?" JJ questioned as she stood with one hand on her hip, the other hand still holding the bowl of, now, chocolate chip pancake mix_

_Emily very calmly looked up from the morning paper as she looked at her wife, "I have no idea what you are talking about"_

_The blonde simply narrowed her eyes at the brunette woman who was maintaining a very innocent look and straight face._

_JJ's smirk turned into a full blown smile as she turned her attention to the three boys, "If it wasn't your mother, I'm guessing it was one of you"_

_Declan threw his hands up in surrender as his blonde mother stepped closer to him while he remained sitting on the island, "Hey don't look at me"_

_JJ then turned towards the other two boys who were sitting one on each side of Emily. Henry just shrugged his shoulders but Ethan spilled the beans._

"_Don't look at me, she did it" the brunette boy said as he nodded towards his brunette mother_

_Emily's face turned to shock and JJ couldn't stop the laugh that exited her body at the eleven year old's confession._

"_Thanks a lot kid. I thought I meant a little more to you than that. And then you go and just throw me under the bus" the brunette woman said to her look alike son_

"_Hey I'm just trying to stay clear of the blame. That way when she least expects it I can add the chocolate chips and no one will even think twice about it being me, because everyone here knows it's always you. And even if you deny it, mama J will never believe you" Ethan stated as he looked at Emily_

_JJ laughed even harder at the boy's confession as Emily stared at her son before throwing her arm around his shoulders and pulling him in tightly against her._

"_You are so, totally, my son" she laughed before kissing the top of his dark head_

_JJ rolled her eyes with a smile before turning back to the stove to make the chocolate chip pancakes._

Hotch smiled as Declan finished the story. When he looked back over at the blonde teenager he could see the sadness in his blue eyes.

"Hey Declan, since you're finished eating, do you want to take a ride in your wheelchair with me and go up to see your moms?" he asked

The teen swung his head quickly towards the dark haired man as blue eyes connected with brown, "Seriously?"

Hotch nodded, "Yeah, the doctors agreed it will be good for Emily and JJ to hear your voice"

"Let's go" the teenager replied as he threw the covers off of his legs, wincing in pain as he did

"Whoa, slow down Declan. Relax and take a deep breath for a minute, okay" Hotch told the boy

While Declan fought off the sharp pain in his shoulder Hotch walked out of the room before returning with a wheelchair. He then, slowly and carefully, helped the teenager transfer from the bed to the wheelchair. Then they made their way out of the room, out of ICU, to the elevators.

They came to Emily's room first and Hotch noticed that both Morgan and Rossi were still with her. The dark haired agent slowly wheeled Declan through the brunette's doorway, causing Morgan and Rossi to both turn towards the sound. Both men looked from Declan to Hotch, the older man raising his eyebrow in question.

"The doctors thought it would be a good idea for Emily and JJ to hear Declan's voice" Hotch simply stated

Both Morgan and Rossi nodded before the older man looked at Morgan, "What do you say we go visit JJ for awhile?"

The dark skinned man simply nodded as he allowed Rossi to grab the back of his wheelchair and push him out of Emily's room, down the hall to JJ's.

Meanwhile, as Hotch pushed Declan closer to Emily's bed, the teenager swallowed the lump in his throat as he stared at his brunette mother. He bit his bottom lip, sucking it into his mouth to try and help control his emotions. He looked at her bruised and battered body, her leg propped up on pillows, her thigh wrapped tightly in bandages. From there he noticed her hand, wrapped tightly in bandages, a brace on top of the bandages, and her two fingers splinted. Her hand was also propped up on a pillow. He sighed loudly as he bit harder into his bottom lip as his eyes finally landed on the tubes that were coming out of his mother's mouth, attached to a machine, to help keep her breathing at a consistent level.

Hotch noticed the boy's demeanor and when he heard him sigh he placed a gentle hand on Declan's uninjured shoulder.

"It's okay to cry Declan" the dark haired man said quietly

That was all it took for the sixteen year old to break down in tears as he sat next to his mother's bed. Hotch moved and squatted down next to Declan's uninjured side, wrapping his arms carefully around the blonde teen. Declan let his head carefully fall onto Hotch's shoulder as he continued to cry.

After a few minutes the teen pulled away from the dark haired man who was consoling him. Declan reached up to his face with his left hand, wiping away the remaining tears as he stared again at his mother.

"It's my fault" he said quietly

Hotch was still squatting next to the teen as he looked at the blonde boy, "What?"

"It's my fault" he repeated, this time louder

"Declan, this is in no way your fault-" he began but was cut off by the teen

"YES IT IS" the blue eyed boy said loudly as he turned towards Hotch, his blue eyes cold and hard, in a way the dark haired man had never seen

"Dec-"

"If I would never have been born, none of this would have happened. If Chloe would have succeeded in trying to kill me when she was pregnant then we wouldn't be here"

Hotch was stunned at everything the teen had just said and it took him a moment to regain his senses.

"What are you talking about? What makes you think that Chloe tried to kill you?" Hotch questioned

"Because she told me…and Ethan. She said she tried to kill herself when she was pregnant with me…She didn't want to bring Ian Doyle's child into this world…not that she wanted a kid anyway"

"Declan I'm sure she-"

"Don't make excuses for her" the teen snapped, "She shot my mom. And then she shot me"

Hotch had been wanting to find out what had transpired in that warehouse, but he knew he needed to tread lightly. However, now that he was finding out the truth about some of the things that had happened, his heart was breaking even more and he was regretting wanting to know about the events.

"Did she…shoot you on purpose?" questioned Hotch

"It doesn't matter. The fact is she never wanted me. She told me she couldn't stand to look at me because I look just like him…just like my _father_"

"But Declan you are nothing like him"

"Maybe not in personality, but I can't change how I look. And apparently his physical genes run deep in me"

"Declan-"

"After Chloe said that stuff about me, she started telling Ethan that Emily must hate him too since he is Ian's son. She told him that she was surprised that Emily didn't try to kill herself too. Then she told him that he was probably more like his father than he knew and that Emily was trying to hide it from him"

Hotch felt his fists curling into balls from the anger that was boiling inside of him. These boys, especially Declan and Ethan, had already been through so much in their lives. They had bounced back resiliently after everything that had happened nearly five years ago. But now the team leader was truly worried. He now knew that these boys not only had physical scars to heal from, but emotional ones also and this time he was scared that they wouldn't bounce back as quickly as they had when they were younger and at the rate Declan was going right now, he was worried what Ethan's emotional state would be when he finally woke up as well.

"Declan look at me" Hotch ordered in a firm voice

Declan closed his eyes a moment before finally turning to stare at the man he considered an uncle.

"You are Declan Michael Prentiss and you are _nothing_ like Ian Doyle. You are a kind, sensitive, young man who would never purposefully hurt anyone. And you would never knowingly put anyone in your family in danger or do anything to harm them. On top of that _you _are the reason that your mother's are together and the reason that you all are a family. None of _this_ is your fault and I don't want you to think for one second that this world…that any of us, would be better without you in it. We love you Declan, no matter where you might have come from. What matters to us is who you are here" Hotch said as he placed his hand over Declan's heart

"And don't you doubt for one minute that anything that's happened is going to change the way we feel about any of you. We will never stop caring for you, fighting for you, or loving you, whether you like it or not. Do you understand?"

Declan didn't answer but he finally dropped his eyes from Hotch's gaze as he turned to look at his brunette mother again.

"Will you push me closer?" the blonde teen asked quietly

Hotch stared at Declan another moment, before standing up and pushing the teenager closer to his mothers bed. He stood back and watched as Declan reached out with his left hand and placed it over Emily's right.

"I'm so sorry mom" he said as he began talking to her, "I never wanted any of this to happen. I love you so much…I just wish, now, that all those years ago I wouldn't have become so attached to you because then maybe you never would have found out who I really was…and then…none of this would have happened"

Hotch felt the tears forming in his eyes as he listened to the teen with such a warm heart. He knew Declan was letting the tears form again in his eyes as well because the dark haired agent could hear the hitches in the teenagers voice.

"I know that I'd probably have died…or been killed, but if I could go back and change things I would…I would gladly have died for you back then if it meant that you wouldn't have gotten hurt…I'm so sorry"

There was silence in the room for a few minutes before Declan slowly got himself out of the wheelchair, standing next to his mothers bed, before bending down through the pain to place a kiss on her cheek. He saw a couple tears fall from his face onto hers as he bent over so he brought his left hand up and carefully wiped them off of her face with his thumb.

"You have to be okay mom, do you hear me. I'm okay. And Henry's at home with Aunt Pen. I just…I need you to be okay…or…I don't think I could ever forgive myself if you don't wake up" he confessed

Declan then moved carefully back to his wheelchair and Hotch could see the pain etched across the teens face.

"Declan-"

"Take me to see JJ" he said to Hotch before taking one last look at his brunette mother

Hotch wanted to deny the request, knowing that the teenager was in pain and needing to take his next dose of medication, but at the same time he couldn't bring himself to tell the blonde boy no. So he reluctantly pushed the teen out of Emily's room, down the hall to JJ's.

Morgan and Rossi came out of the blonde woman's room just as Hotch was about to wheel Declan into her room.

"Any change?" the team leader questioned

Rossi shook his head as he pushed Morgan past Declan. The dark skinned man reached his uninjured hand out to the blonde teen's uninjured hand, grasping Declan's hand tightly.

"They're going to be okay D. I know it. I feel it" Morgan told the teen

Declan's blue eyes met Morgan's brown, but the dark skinned man saw nothing but sadness in the eyes of the teen. He gave Declan's hand one last squeeze before Rossi pushed the agent past Declan and Hotch, back towards Emily's room.

The team leader then pushed Declan through the doorway to JJ's room, slowly easing the sixteen year old up next to his blonde mother's bed. He stepped to the side, looking at the teen from the side, trying to read his face. All he saw was sadness and fear. Hotch watched as Declan reached out with his left hand and picked up JJ's hand, squeezing it slightly.

"I love you mom" he told her in a hoarse tone as he tried to control his emotions

The teenager took in all of the injuries that were visible on his blonde mother and he once again let the tears fall freely down his face. Hotch stepped up behind Declan and placed a comforting hand on his uninjured shoulder.

The boy took a deep breath before exhaling slowly. Then he looked at his mother again and slowly began to talk to her.

"I'm so sorry JJ…I already told Emily that I wished I had never been born. That way none of this would have happened…I'm sorry that you had to go through all of this…that you got hurt because of me…If I could back and change things I would. I would gladly die for you and Emily…I love you both so much"

Declan paused as he dropped his gaze to the floor a moment before looking back up at his mother.

"I am so thankful that you guys took me in…It's something that neither of you had to do. Emily didn't have to protect me for all those years. And you didn't have to allow me into your home…or your life five years ago…You didn't have to love me..but you did…And right now I'm wishing that you hadn't, because if you hadn't you wouldn't have gotten hurt and you wouldn't be lying in this hospital bed right now"

"Declan" interrupted Hotch as he squeezed the boy's shoulder gently, "This isn't your fault son"

"No matter what you say to me, you can't change what I really feel…or what I really think…especially right now" replied the blonde teen

There was silence in the room for a few minutes before Declan stood up from his wheelchair and bent down over JJ, placing a gentle kiss to her cheek.

"Keep fighting mom. You're stronger than you give yourself credit for. I want you to know that I'm okay and Henry is okay and at home with Aunt Pen. Now I just need you to be okay…I love you too much to lose you this way" he whispered to her before standing back up and moving to his wheelchair

Once Declan was situated back in his chair, Hotch turned him and wheeled him out of JJ's room, out of ICU and down to the elevator.

"Will you take me to Ethan's room on the way back to mine?" the teenager asked

"Declan I-"

"Hotch I know he's just down the hall from me…please…I need to see him"

The dark haired man stared down into blue eyes still so full of worry that he couldn't bring himself to say no. He gave a slight nod as the elevator doors closed and they rode back up to the pediatric floor.

This time Hotch stood outside of Ethan's room, watching Declan through the window as the blonde teen talked to his brunette brother. The leader sighed, hoping and praying that the rest of the family would wake up soon.

Once Hotch got Declan back into bed, the teen was given his next dose of pain meds and was out before Hotch even made it out of the room. As he was making his way down to the cafeteria to grab some food for everyone he received a phone call from Jessica regarding Henry. She told him that the little boy had woken up from a terrifying nightmare regarding his mother, but the blonde boy wouldn't say much more than that. On top of that the only one who could get through to Henry was Jack. Hotch rubbed his temple before telling Jessica to bring the kids and Garcia up to the hospital.

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><p>AN: Please review. I am still working on the next chapter, but I'm hoping to make it the final chapter for this installment of the series. Sorry if there was too much relationship material going on, but I really wanted to show the different relationships between all of the adults and children.


	17. Chapter 17

A/N: HALLELUJAH! The final chapter of this series is finally up. I APOLOGIZE a RIDICULOUS amount. I ended up traveling out of the country several more times and for WAY longer than was originally planned. I am finally back in the states and got some time to finish this story! Hope you all enjoy. I wrote part of this chapter extremely fast, so I apologize for the latter half of it! Enough of my rambling. Read on to find out what happens.

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><p>Chapter 17<p>

About an hour later Hotch met Jessica, Garcia, Jack, Henry, and Penny in the hallway. He could tell by the look on the seven year old boy's face that he was frightened and worried. The dark haired man walked up to him, squatting down in front of the boy.

"Henry do you want to see your mom?" he asked the blonde boy

Light brown eyes met Hotch's slightly darker ones as he nodded enthusiastically.

"Okay but Henry I have to tell you that they are sleeping and are hurt pretty bad so you are going to have to be careful"

"Okay" he responded

Hotch nodded before standing back up and looking at the two blonde women who stood before him.

"Don't worry. We will be back in a bit"

Then he turned and began to walk down the hall Henry beside him. Before they even rounded the corner to the elevator the seven year old had slipped his hand into Hotch's much larger one. The dark haired man looked down and squeezed the little boy's hand gently.

Once they got outside the ICU Hotch stopped, looking down at Henry once again.

"Buddy I need you to understand that your moms are going to be hooked up to a bunch of machines, okay. And they have lots of cuts and bruises"

The blonde seven year old simply nodded as he replied, "Okay"

As the dark haired agent looked down at Henry his heart nearly broke. All he could see when he looked at the child was JJ. His smile, his nose, his hair, it was all Jennifer Jareau. The only thing that set the boy apart from his mother was his light brown eyes.

"Let's go Uncle Aaron" Henry stated as he began to pull at Hotch's arm

"Okay I'm coming" the dark haired man replied as he pushed open the doors to ICU and led the seven year old into the hall.

Immediately they were stopped by a nurse and a doctor telling Hotch he couldn't bring Henry inside. The agent explained who he was and that JJ and Emily's doctors had both okayed it. As soon as his name tumbled off of his lips both the doctor and the nurse apologized telling him they didn't realize who he was. Hotch gave a small smile and nod, knowing that everyone in both ICU's had heard about what happened and knew who they all were.

The agent felt Henry grip his hand tighter as they made their way around a short corner, passing other patient's rooms who were hooked up to machines. Hotch steered Henry to JJ's room first, coming to a stop in her doorway.

"Grandpa Dave" Henry said when he saw Rossi sitting in the chair next to his mom's bed

The older man turned in his chair to find Hotch standing there holding Henry's hand. He smiled when he saw the blonde seven year old before he opened his arms. Henry let go of Hotch's hand and slowly walked over to the older man who wrapped his arms around the little boy.

"Hey kiddo" he replied as he kissed the side of Henry's head

As Rossi released his hold on the boy, he kept both of the small hands in his larger ones as he looked down, noticing that both of Henry's wrists had been wrapped in bandages. He looked back up into the light brown eyes of the seven year old and couldn't help but smile.

"Nice outfit kid" the older man said with a smile as he looked at Henry

Henry smiled slightly as he looked down at his charcoal striped shorts and black t-shirt, topped off with his gray Velcro strap van shoes.

"Mama Em got me these clothes and Mommy got me the shoes" he stated

Rossi watched as the smile faded from the seven year olds face. He let go of the boy's hands and gently turned him towards JJ's bed. Henry still stood with Rossi, leaning back against the older man, as he stared at his mother, taking in her appearance and the wires attached to her.

"She's sleeping?" he questioned quietly

Rossi nodded, "Yes but don't worry you won't wake her up if your too loud. But I know she wants to hear your voice"

Henry finally stepped away from Rossi as he moved closer to the bed. Then before either man could stop him he had climbed quickly up onto his mother's bed. Both agents stepped closer, afraid of what might happen next, but what transpired melted both of their hearts.

Henry carefully crawled up the bed, sitting next to his mother on his knees. He then took his hand and reached out to her face, carefully touching the bruising and bandage on the left side. Then he leaned forward and kissed her gently on the lips.

"I love you mommy" he told her, "You need to wake up so we can go back home. I don't like sleeping in that big house without you… Aunt Penny's there, but it's not the same"

Rossi turned his attention from Henry to look back at Hotch who had tears forming in his eyes. They stood there and watched Henry talk to his mother for awhile before he just sat on the bed staring down at her. Henry stayed with JJ for another half hour before he turned and looked at Hotch.

"Can I see Mama Em now?" he asked

"Of course" the dark haired agent answered

Rossi stepped forward and helped Henry off of the bed so that he didn't jump off and cause the bed to move. The seven year old then walked up to Hotch and looked at him questioningly. The dark haired agent smiled and nodded to the doorway, leading the boy out of JJ's room and down the hall just a ways to Emily's.

As Hotch walked Henry into Emily's room, they found they were the only ones there to see her at this time.

Henry stared at his brunette mother, noticing immediately her leg propped up on a pillow and tightly wrapped in bandages. He then noticed her left hand which was braced and wrapped in bandages as well. His eyes were wide as he continued to stare, before he finally noticed the tubes coming out of her mouth.

"What's that thing" he asked pointing towards the machine that the tubes were connected to

Hotch looked at the machine, desperately wanting to think of something to tell Henry, other than what it really was. When the dark haired agent remained silent for too long the seven year old spoke up again.

"Uncle Aaron?" he said questioningly as he looked up at the older man

Hotch took a deep breath before looking down at Henry, "That is there to help her breathe"

Henry's eyes grew wider before he asked, "She can't breathe?"

"She can…She just needed a little help"

"Will it help if I talk to her?" he asked looking back up at Hotch

"Yeah buddy, I think it will" he told him

Henry nodded as he let go of the older man's hand. He turned towards Emily's bed and slowly walked up to it. He stared at the bed and at Emily before turning back to Hotch.

"Will you help me get up there?"

Hotch nodded as he moved towards the seven year old, scooping him up easily and sitting him gently on the edge of the bed.

"Be careful" Hotch told Henry before he took a step back

The blonde boy carefully shifted himself on the bed before slowly crawling up next to Emily's right side. Then he mirrored what he done in JJ's room. He leaned all of his weight on his knees as he carefully leaned forward, stretching his right hand out and gently touching Emily's face, where some of her bruises were. Then he moved his hand to her neck, where the very prominent handprint bruises were.

Hotch watched Henry carefully as the boy leaned forward once again, leaning down and placing a kiss gently on Emily's lips.

"I love you mama" he told her as he sat back up, "I'm sorry you're hurt"

Hotch watched as Henry continued to talk to Emily quietly. A few moments later Rossi pulled Hotch out of the room to talk to him. In the middle of the conversation Rossi caught movement out of the corner of his eye and turned to the glass window looking into Emily's room. When he did Hotch also turned and what they saw melted both of the grown men's hearts.

Henry was lying down, situating himself next to Emily's right side. They watched as the blonde seven year old carefully positioned himself next to the brunette. He turned, laying on his left side so that his body was facing Emily's before carefully picking up his mothers right hand and holding between his own two hands. Then he let his forehead carefully lean again Emily's right upper arm.

"Hotch they have to-" Rossi began

"I know Dave. I know" the team leader stated, cutting off what he already knew the older man was going to say

It didn't take long for the seven year old to fall asleep next to Emily and neither man had the heart to wake him or try to move him, especially since Hotch was somewhat aware of the rough night and morning the boy had had. They let Henry remain where he was as Rossi watched over the two while Hotch took his turn sitting with JJ.

A couple hours later Hotch left JJ's room to go check on Henry. When he got to Emily's room he saw the seven year old still sleeping soundly next to his brunette mother, while Rossi was snoozing in the chair next to the bed. Standing just inside the room was Garcia, tears streaming down her face.

"Garcia" Hotch questioned quietly as he stepped up behind her

She turned her head slightly to look at Hotch before she wiped her eyes. There was a moment of silence before Garcia spoke.

"Jessica and I were just wondering what was taking so long. She took Penny home to take a nap, so I thought I would come up and see what was going on…And I found…this" she said motioning with her hands at the scene before her

Hotch nodded, "Sorry. I should have let you know what was going on. He fell asleep and neither of us had the heart to wake him"

Garcia nodded, "It's fine…he needs the sleep…He…I…I don't think he slept well last night"

Hotch nodded before stepping up next to the blonde and wrapping an arm around her shoulders, "They're going to be okay Penelope"

She nodded as she let her head rest on his shoulder for a moment. Their moment was interrupted by both Hotch and Garcia's phones buzzing. They both stepped apart, pulling out their phones and reading their text messages.

"Oh my God" the blonde uttered before looking back up at Hotch who had just read his text and looked up meeting the blonde's wide brown eyes

"Let's go" he stated as he ushered her towards the door

"What about-" she began but was cut off

"They'll be fine. I'll come back and get Dave in a minute" he told her as he practically pushed her out of the ICU

The two adults quickly got into the elevator and headed down to the pediatric ward. Once there they made their way quickly to the pediatric ICU. Hotch burst through the doors and down the hall, where they found Kevin standing outside of Ethan's room.

"Kevin?" Hotch questioned as he and Garcia approached the male analyst

"The doctors are in there" he replied as he turned towards the eleven year old boy's room

Hotch and Garcia both walked over to the window looking into the brunette boy's room, but they could not see the child due to him being surrounded by doctors and nurses. The team leader turned from the window to ask Kevin some further questions when Garcia suddenly gasped as she continued to look through the window. Hotch turned back around to find that the doctors and nurses were stepping away from the bed. Hotch swallowed the lump in his throat before slowly smiling when he saw small dark eyes staring back at him from inside the room. The team leader closed his eyes, relieved that Ethan seemed to be okay and awake.

The three adults were met by the doctor as he came out of the room.

"How is he?" Garcia asked before anyone else could

The doctor smiled at the blonde woman, "He seems to be doing pretty well considering everything he has been through"

"So he's okay?" questioned Hotch as he turned his attention to the doctor

"Well as far as I can tell medical wise, he's healing quite nicely. He's in quite a bit of pain from the surgical sight and has a massive headache, but both of those are to be expected"

"Did you bring him out of his unconsciousness?" the team leader asked, knowing that the doctor didn't want the eleven year old waking up too soon

The doctor shook his head, "Unfortunately I did not. He apparently began to wake up about half an hour ago. Your friend here called for a nurse and by the time I made it in there he was struggling to wake himself entirely up and was mumbling for his mother, I believe"

"But he's going to be okay even though he woke sooner than you wanted him to?" Hotch asked

"I believe so. Like I said I've checked him over and he remembers his name, date of birth, and the year. Feel free to ask him more questions, but he is going to be tired. I gave him some more pain medication so he won't be awake much longer. Otherwise, like I said before, his wounds are looking good. He just needs to relax and rest so that his body can finish healing"

"Thank you doctor" Hotch said with a nod, "Is it okay if we all go in?"

The doctor nodded, "Yes I think we can make an exception. I'm hoping that since he seems to be doing so well that by tomorrow we can move him out of ICU into a regular room"

"Really?" Garcia questioned, a hint of excitement in her voice

He nodded, "And maybe we can even get him and his brother in the same room"

Hotch nodded at the doctor again as he reached his hand out to shake, "That would be really good. Thanks again"

"Of course" the doctor responded as he shook Hotch's hand

The doctor then turned to walk away, leaving the three adults standing outside of Ethan's room staring at the brunette boy through the window. Hotch took a deep breath before turning and walking through the doorway into the room.

"Hey buddy" the team leader said with a small smile as he walked up next to the bed

"Hey" Ethan replied hoarsely

Before Hotch could say anything else Garcia came barreling into the room, "Oh my mini E. How are you? It's so good to see your beautiful, mysterious, dark eyes. I love you so, so much"

Ethan couldn't help but smile at the bubbly blonde he had come to love so much over the years, which he considered an aunt.

"I just want to hug you so much right now" she said

"Garcia calm down" Hotch told her with a slight smile himself

"It's okay Uncle Aaron" said Ethan, "I wouldn't mind a hug"

Garcia smiled widely at the affectionate eleven year old, "Really? I don't want to hurt you"

"As long as you hug me carefully I'll be okay" he told the blonde analyst with a smile

She nodded before bending over the bed, hugging him the best that she could in his current position. She sighed as she felt his little arms wrap around her neck hugging her back. When she pulled away she saw him wince slightly but he forced that emotion away quickly before anyone would notice.

"How are you feeling champ?" Kevin asked as he stood at the end of the bed

"My head hurts…and my left side and a couple other things, but I'm okay"

"Jack was here to see you the other day. I snuck him back here" Hotch told the boy as he placed his hand over Ethan's right one

"I know" the boy replied as he looked at everyone's faces, before smiling and adding, "I could hear you all when you were talking to me"

"Really?" Garcia asked

"Mmmhmm" he answered with a slight nod

There was a moment of silence before Ethan looked up seriously at Hotch, "Where are my mom's?"

"They're here…a couple floors up…in the ICU" he told the eleven year old

Ethan bit his bottom lip before he asked the next question, "Are they…gonna die?"

"Ethan both of your moms are hurt pretty badly. But the doctors are very hopeful"

"So you don't know" he replied as he stared up at the dark haired man

"Ethan I'm not going to lie and tell you that they are going to be okay, because I'm not sure. At this point I don't think anyone is making any final decisions. But they are hurt pretty badly. And it's pretty much up to them as to whether or not they are going to pull through" he told the boy truthfully

Ethan nodded as he continued to chew on his bottom lip before he let his tongue dart to the corner of his lips and then trace along his bottom lip. Much in the same way Emily would. Hotch smiled as he watched the young boy who looked so much like his mother.

"Can I see them?" he finally asked, looking back up at Hotch

"Not right now. Like I said they are in ICU. No one under fourteen is allowed back there. But maybe if you get moved to a regular room tomorrow we can have a discussion with your doctor, and theirs, to see if we could make an exception"

"Really?" Ethan questioned hopefully

Hotch nodded, "Yes, BUT I'm not making any promises, so don't get your hopes up"

The boy nodded again as his eyes began to get heavy. Hotch noticed so he gave Ethan's hand a light squeeze.

"We will let you get some rest" he told the youngster

Ethan opened his eyes back up quickly, "Wait. What about Declan and Henry? Are they okay? Where-"

"Slow down son. Henry is actually doing okay. He was the least hurt out of all of you. He was released yesterday and he's here visiting right now"

"D?"

"Declan is actually right down the hall from you. He just woke up last night. He's hurt pretty bad, but he's doing good considering"

"Can I see him?" Ethan asked with sad eyes

"I'll let him know you're awake and maybe Rossi can bring him in here, okay" Hotch told him

Ethan nodded as he began to chew on his lip again. Hotch watched him closely, knowing there was something else on the eleven year olds mind.

"Ethan?" Hotch said in a questioning voice

Dark brown eyes finally turned meeting Hotch's lighter brown ones and the dark haired man could see the worry in the young boy's eyes.

"What is it?" Hotch asked as he looked at Ethan with concern

"Is he…dead?" the boy asked quietly as he tensed up

It took Hotch a moment to fully comprehend what Ethan had asked, but once he had he nodded his head, "Yes…they all are"

Ethan sighed as he began to relax somewhat back into his bed. Hotch turned and nodded at Garcia and Kevin, motioning towards the door. Both adults nodded, understanding the leader wanted some time alone with the eleven year old.

"Hey little E, I'm going to go check on some of the others, but I will be back very soon. You rest up and get better, okay" Garcia said, slightly choked up, as she stepped closer to the bed, bending over and placing a kiss on Ethan's cheek

"I love you Ethan Prentiss" she said as she stood back up

"I love you too Aunt Pen" he told her sincerely

She smiled one last time at him before turning and following Kevin out of the room. Hotch then turned his attention back on the brunette boy lying in the bed. He smiled slightly at him before he spoke.

"Are you sure your feeling okay?" the dark haired agent asked again, knowing he was a lot like Emily when it came to pain, he would hide it as long as he could

"I'm fine Uncle Aaron" he answered slightly annoyed

"Ethan I know you're hurting and confused. And you probably just want to erase the last week of your life. But I want you to know, if you need to talk, I'm here, okay" he told his son's best friend

Ethan nodded but didn't say anything.

"Is there anything you want to talk about right now?" he asked the young brunette

Ethan merely shook his head and closed his eyes as he said, "I'm kinda tired. Can I just go to sleep?"

"Of course" responded the older man, "I'll just sit here until you fall asleep"

Ethan opened his eyes, turning to look at the dark haired man, "I'll be fine"

"Okay" Hotch replied, "But I'm still staying until you fall asleep"

Ethan sighed but knew there was no reason to argue because he wasn't going to win. Instead he gave in, closing his eyes, and allowed the pain medication to take effect.

Not thirty minutes later Hotch heard Ethan whimpering. As he looked over at the young brunette he saw his legs moving and his arms begin to flail slightly. The dark haired man got up and stepped closer to the bed. He could see Ethan's eyelids fluttering and knew that the boy was having a nightmare. Hotch reached over and took Ethan's hand in his own as he began talking to him in a calm, gentle voice.

"Ethan, it's okay buddy, wake up…you're dreaming"

The youngster continued to flail and whimper so Hotch began to shake Ethan slightly, "Ethan"

The eleven year old's eyes flew open, looking up at Hotch with a terrified look on his face, his breathing heavy and ragged.

"It's okay. You're okay" the older man told Ethan as he patted his arm reassuringly

Ethan closed his eyes trying to level out his breathing.

"You want to talk about it?" Hotch asked the young boy

Ethan shook his head and kept his eyes closed as he said, "I just want to go back to sleep"

"Okay" the older man relented as he watched Ethan fall back asleep

Later that afternoon after Henry had woken up, Hotch had taken him down to the cafeteria to eat some lunch before he was going to take him back up to see his brothers.

While they were eating lunch Rossi made his way into Ethan's room. He saw the young boy with his eyes closed so he pulled the chair closer to the bed. He stood next to Ethan's bed for a moment before taking the boy's small hand in his own.

"I'm glad you're going to be okay kid" he said

Ethan opened his eyes when he heard Rossi's voice. He stared up at the older man who had become a grandfather figure in his life.

He smiled up at the older man who hadn't realized he had opened his eyes yet, "Hi Grandpa Dave"

Rossi's eyes darted back to the eleven year old, who had a smirk on his face. The older man couldn't help but smile down at the young brunette who looked so much like his mother.

Then he wiped the smile off of his face as he turned serious, "What have I told you about calling me that?"

Ethan smiled widely as he continued to look at the older man, "That you love it when I call you that"

Rossi's seriousness faded, "You heard me talking to you didn't you?"

"Uh huh" the boy answered still smiling

"Well then I guess you know the truth…Let's just not make a habit out of it" he told the youngster as he began to smile also

"Deal" replied Ethan

The two looked at each other for a moment before Rossi leaned over, scooping Ethan carefully into his arms.

"I'm so, so glad you are going to be okay" he told Ethan

The eleven year old wrapped his arms around the older man's neck, hugging him back.

"I love you kiddo"

"Love you too Grandpa Dave" Ethan told him with a giggle

Rossi let out a small laugh as well before he carefully laid the eleven year old back onto his bed.

"Hotch is going to bring Henry up as soon as they get done eating" he told Ethan

The young brunette nodded, "I really want to see him…and Dec"

"You boys are going to be okay" Rossi told him as he squeezed Ethan's hand gently

"I think we will all be better when mom wakes up…both of them" he stated as he looked down

Rossi moved his hand to Ethan's face, placing his finger under the boy's chin gently, "Listen to me Ethan, your moms are both very strong women. They are going to give up without a fight"

"I know" he replied

Rossi nodded as he moved his hand and sat down in the chair beside the bed, "Want me to read some comics to you?"

"Sure" Ethan answered, his smile and slightly upbeat manner no longer there

Rossi sat back in his chair as he pulled out one of the comics that Jack had given him to read to Ethan. He opened the comic and began to read to the young brunette.

A little while later Hotch came through the door hand in hand with Henry. Rossi turned when he saw the smile on Ethan's face and spotted the two people coming through. Henry's light brown eyes lit up and a smile crossed his face when he spotted Ethan sitting up slightly in bed.

"Ethan!" the seven year old shouted as he released Hotch's hand and took off running towards his brothers bed

Rossi caught the overly excited blonde before he jumped onto the bed. Instead lifting him and setting him carefully on the bed next to his brunette brother.

"H, are you okay?" Ethan asked as he stared at his little brother

"Uh huh, you?"

"I'll be okay" he told the younger boy with a smile

"Can I give you a hug? Or will it hurt you?" the blonde seven year old asked

"I'll take a hug" the eleven year old told him

Henry leaned forward carefully, wrapping his arms around Ethan's neck. Ethan, in turn, wrapped his arms around his little brother's waist, hugging him tightly.

Just as they were pulling apart Hotch came back through the doorway, this time pushing Declan in a wheelchair.

"Dec" Ethan said with a slight smile

"Declan!" Henry shouted as he jumped off the bed to make his way towards his oldest brother

This time it was Hotch who caught the young boy, "Hold it there buddy. Declan is hurt a little worst than Ethan. See his hand and shoulder are hurt real bad and his side is hurt pretty bad too, so you need to be careful"

Hotch placed Henry back on the floor and the seven year old made his way slowly to stand in front of his sixteen year old brother.

"Hey H" the blonde teenager said with a smile

"Hi D…are you okay?" he asked sincerely

"I will be. What about you?"

"I'm okay" he stated

"Good" Declan replied as he stared as his little blonde headed brother

Henry stared at Declan's bruised face before turning his eyes to the teenager's hand. Declan noticed and immediately spoke up.

"Are you gonna give me a hug Henry or what?"

"I don't wanna hurt you" the seven year old replied as he lifted his eyes to meet his brothers

"I'll take a gentle hug from this side" the teenager told the seven year old as he motioned to his left side

Henry made his way to the left side of Declan's wheelchair and wrapped his arms carefully around his big brother's neck. Declan winced slightly but ignored it as he wrapped his left arm tightly around the little boy's back.

As they pulled apart Declan looked over at Ethan, who he noticed was watching him carefully.

"Hey E" Declan said as he looked at his younger brother

"Hey…You okay?" the brunette asked as he continued to stare at his brother

"Yeah. What about you? How's your head?" the teenager asked

"It'll be okay" he answered

Declan nodded before turning back to Hotch, "Could…we, umm…could we have a few minutes…alone?"

Hotch looked from the blonde teenager to the other two boys before looking at Rossi and nodding, "Sure. We will just be right outside"

"Kay" Declan responded as he watched the two older men walk out of the room

Once he knew they were out of the room he turned to Henry, "Hey H will you push me a little closer to Ethan?"

The blonde seven year old tilted his head to the side as he stared at his big brother with a questioning look. Declan only smiled as he noticed the hesitation in his baby brother's light brown eyes.

"It's okay Henry, just push me carefully up to the bed" he told the little boy

"Okay" the seven year old said with a shrug of his shoulders before pushing his big brother carefully up to the side of Ethan's bed

Henry then moved around to the foot of Ethan's bed and carefully climbed up onto it. He crawled up the side until he was even with Ethan's thighs. He turned his body so that he could sit on his bottom with his feet dangling off the side of the bed.

"Guys tell me the truth" Declan said as he looked from one brother to the other, "Are you really okay?"

"Are you?" Ethan questioned back

The teenager tilted his head to the side as he looked at his brunette brother with concern in his eyes.

"Ethan I know you must still be scared. I am too. I've bet you've had nightmares also…I have. I just want you guys to know I'm here if you want to talk about it…especially since Mama Em and Mama J can't talk to us right now…And I know it would be easier to talk to each other rather than anyone else…no matter how much we love them and they love us"

Ethan sighed as he looked down at his lap. Before he could respond he heard Henry's voice.

"Mommies are hurt really bad" he stated, sadness evident in his voice

Ethan's head shot up as he looked at his little brother who was staring at Declan, "Henry did you see them?"

The little blonde nodded slowly, "Yeah. I saw them today. They both have bruises all over…Mama Em has a lot of band aids"

Ethan looked from Henry to Declan, "Have you seen them too?"

Blue eyes met brown as the teenager answered, "Yes…Don't worry E, they are both fighters, we all know that"

"Declan tell me the truth. How bad are they hurt?" the eleven year asked, wanting his brother to be honest

The teenager looked from Ethan to Henry before turning back to the brunette, "Mama was stabbed in the leg and the hand. Those are the bandages H is talking about…and she has some tubes in her mouth to help her breathe-"

"She's not breathing by herself?" he questioned with wide eyes, the alarm noticeable in his voice

"No Ethan, she is, they just want to make sure she keeps breathing on her own. It's just to monitor her to make sure her breathing remains steady. She has some broken ribs and that makes breathing harder" he told him quickly

Ethan nodded slowly but Declan could see that he was still worried. There was silence for a few minutes before Ethan spoke.

"What about Mama J?"

"She's got a lot of bruises…and she was shot in the side, but that injury is okay" he said quickly when he noticed Ethan's eyes grow wide again

"So she's gonna be okay?"

Declan was quiet for a moment before answering the question, "She hurt her head again…so they are keeping her asleep for now"

Ethan looked at Declan, knowing the teenager was trying to minimize JJ's head injury in front of Henry, so the brunette just nodded.

"Henry you weren't hurt were you?" Ethan asked his little brother

He shook his head no.

"Just my wrists and my ankles a little" he said as he held up his wrists which were still wrapped in bandages

"From the tape?" Declan questioned

"Yeah"

The teenager then looked down at the seven year old's ankles and could see the circular bruising around them, although they weren't nearly as bad as his wrists.

"I'm glad you guys are okay…I'm sorry" Declan said sadly as he hung his head

"For what?" Ethan questioned

"For not being able to protect you better…for you know…having such a horrible family…It's my fault all this happened" he said still looking at the floor

"It's not your fault Declan" Henry told his oldest brother, "Why do you think our family is so bad?" he then asked, not fully understanding what Declan meant

"H, I wasn't always part of this family, remember?" he asked the seven year old

Before the little blonde could answer Ethan jumped in, "You did everything you could to protect us D…and that wasn't even your responsibility"

"But-"

"Declan our moms did everything they could too…and in case you forgot I'm related to that _horrible_ family too…It's just as much my fault"

"No it's not Ethan. If your mom never would have found out that I was Ian's son she wouldn't have had to do what she did"

"No matter what D, she didn't have to do it, but that's who she is"

"I know that. But if she never would have known the truth he might not have come after her five years ago and then Patrick wouldn't have tried to get revenge now"

"He still would have come because she had me, and in case you forgot I'm _his _son too. He would have still tried to take me away"

"Maybe"

"Are you saying I'm not as important as you" Ethan practically shouted

Henry began to get nervous as he listened to his brothers argue and begin to yell at one another. They barely ever did that and if they did it was because one of them did something really bad. He and Ethan would fight like that sometimes, but mostly it was out of fun but neither of his older brothers got angry very often.

The seven year old felt the tears brimming in his eyes but couldn't bring himself to say anything. He didn't have to wait very long, though, because Hotch and Rossi came flying into the room a few moments later.

"What is going on in here" Hotch practically shouted over Ethan and Declan

Both boys stopped talking but continued to glare at each other. The team leader looked from one to the other and could see the pain on both boy's faces from their exertion.

"I think that's enough visiting for today" he said as he grabbed the back of Declan's wheelchair and spun the chair around to face the doorway

Hotch looked over at Ethan expecting him to say goodbye or see ya later to his older brother, but he got nothing. The team leader raised his eyebrow as he looked at Rossi, who just shrugged his shoulders. The dark haired agent then continued to push Declan out the door and back down to his own room.

Rossi walked up to the bed and could still see the fear in Henry's light brown eyes, "Hey little man, why don't you come with me? I'll take you back to Garcia and she will take you home for awhile"

"I don't want to go home" he told the older man

"I know sport, but everyone here is about to take a nap, okay"

"Can I see Uncle Derek and Uncle Spence first?" he asked hopefully as he began to sniffle

Rossi smiled at the blonde little boy and nodded, "Okay let's go see if we can find them"

The older man held his arms out and Henry did the same. Rossi picked him up off of the bed and carefully set him down on the floor, keeping one of the little hands in his own larger one. Then he turned to Ethan who was breathing heavily, obviously trying to control his pain. But he could also see the sadness in the dark eyes of the little boy he loved so much.

"Do you need some more pain medication?" Rossi asked the eleven year old

Ethan just shook his head but didn't answer.

"Well I'm going to stop at the nurses' station on the way out anyways. And then I will be back in a little bit so that we can talk" he told the brunette

This time Ethan looked at the older man, but all Rossi could see was hurt and anger, "I don't want to talk"

"Kid, there are a lot of things we don't always want, but sometimes need" he replied before turning to walk out of the room

"I want to see my mom's" Ethan said as Rossi was walking away

The older man turned slightly still holding onto Henry's hand, "You and I are going to talk first. Then we will see about getting you in to see your mothers"

"Please Uncle Dave…I want to…I _have_ to see them…Everyone else has got to…I have to see for myself…Please" he begged as a tear slid down his cheek

Rossi sighed and felt his own emotions getting the best of him. He wasn't used to seeing this family so broken, especially Ethan, who was usually so fun and carefree. The fact that he wasn't joking anymore about calling him grandpa and that he had just begged to see his mother's was evidence enough that Rossi needed to talk to him and take him to see Emily and JJ.

"Okay" Rossi replied, his voice cracking as he tried to maintain composure

As Rossi turned to lead Henry out of the room, he stopped, dropped the seven year old's hand, and turned, walking back over to Ethan. The brunette startled at first because the older man came towards him so quickly. Ethan's flinch did not go unnoticed by Rossi, either, and that just broke the man's heart even more. When he got to Ethan's bed he grabbed the eleven year old's hand, giving it a gentle squeeze. Then he leaned over and said,

"No matter what Ethan Prentiss I love you" before placing a kiss on the uninjured side of the brunette's head

Then he let go of the boys hand and turned, heading back to the doorway, taking Henry's hand in his once again, and walking out of the room. As soon as he left the room Ethan turned his head away from the door and let a few more tears run down his face.

Meanwhile Hotch helped Declan get back in bed and tried to get the teenager to open up and tell him what was going on, but the blonde just ignored the older man. The team leader sighed as he stared at the stubborn teenager. Declan then turned his blue eyes to Hotch's brown.

"Can you see if I can have more pain meds? My shoulder is really hurting"

"Sure" replied Hotch as he turned to head out to the nurses station

He found Rossi standing there already talking to one of the nurses, he assumed for the same reason.

"Ethan need some meds?" he asked as he stepped up to the station area

Rossi turned towards Hotch's voice and nodded.

Hotch nodded in return, "Declan too"

"Mmm" Rossi mused

Wanting to change the subject the older man turned back towards Hotch.

"I'm going to take Henry to see Morgan and Reid for a bit. Then I'm going to come back and talk to Ethan…if he's not passed out"

The team leader nodded, "I'm pretty sure both of them will be out in about half an hour"

"Probably. But I can wait" the older man said

Hotch nodded, "Okay well, Henry, I'll come and get you in a bit. Maybe me, you, and Jack can go out for dinner"

The seven year old looked up at the dark haired man and shrugged slowly, "I'm not hungry"

The leader looked down at the blonde, "I know buddy, not right now, in a little bit, okay"

Henry just nodded before Rossi turned him and led him out of the pediatric ICU in search of Morgan, Reid, and Garcia.

When the older man got to Morgan and Reid's joint room he smiled to himself as he heard the two arguing about something. He pushed open the door and saw Morgan sitting up in bed, a snack tray in front of him. Reid was still laying down, though the head of his bed was tilted at about a forty five degree angle.

"Uncle Derek! Uncle Spence!" Henry shouted as he entered the room with Rossi

"Hey little man" Morgan said with a smile as he saw the little blonde boy enter the room with Rossi

Reid turned towards the small blonde as well and also planted a smile on his face, "Hey Henry"

Henry ran around Reid's bed so that he could stand between the two.

"Careful Henry they are both hurt" Rossi told the seven year old in a gentle tone

The little boy stopped suddenly as he looked from Reid to Morgan.

"Everyone's hurt" the little blonde stated sadly, as tears welled up in his eyes again

"Hey, Henry, we are going to be okay" Morgan said, looking at the little boy

"Yeah we are going to be fine" Reid reiterated

When Henry still didn't say anything Morgan leaned forward on his bed.

"Come 'ere little man" he said motioning with his uninjured right arm

Henry hesitated before moving towards the dark agent's bed. He placed both of his hands palm down on the bed next to Morgan's waist before looking at the dark man again. Morgan nodded so Henry carefully jumped as he wiggled his way onto the bed with a little help from dark agent.

Morgan looked at Henry who sat next to his thighs, cross legged. He noticed the bandages around his wrists and his heart broke a little bit.

"How are your wrists feeling H?" the dark skinned man asked

Henry looked up into dark eyes and shrugged, "It hurts a little, especially when I move them too much"

"Sorry little man"

"It's okay. Everyone else is hurt more bad than me" he stated

Everyone in the room was silent for a moment before Morgan spoke up again. He looked at Henry's outfit and smiled.

"Well you sure look handsome today little man. I can guess that Aunt Penelope did not pick out your clothes" he told the boy with a smile

"Nope. I did" he replied sadly as he looked down at his shorts

"Hey, why the sad face. I like your outfit" the dark skinned man said sincerely

"Mama Em picked it out" Henry said before adding, "And mommy picked out my shoes"

Everyone sucked in a breath as the seven year old mentioned his mothers. Morgan swallowed the lump in his throat, willing himself to control his emotions.

"H look at me" he told the little blonde boy

Slowly Henry's eyes moved up as he looked into dark brown ones.

"Your moms are two of the strongest women I know…two of the strongest people I know. I believe that they are going to be alright. What do you think?"

Henry just shrugged his shoulders.

"Well I think you should pray for them…and I think they would want you to still smile and have fun. They wouldn't want you to be sad all the time"

"But I am sad" the seven year old stated matter of factly

Morgan's face showed the concern and hurt for the little boy, because he was sad also.

"Come here" he said opening his good arm for the boy

Henry's eyes grew wide, "I don't want to hurt you"

Morgan shook his head, "You won't. Just don't lean on this side of my shoulder" he said motioning to his left side

Hesitantly Henry got to his knees and scooted closer to the dark skinned man. When he got close enough Morgan wrapped his right arm around the little boy and pulled him towards his chest. Henry carefully wrapped his arms around the man's neck, careful to not squeeze to tight. The seven year old loved how safe he felt in all of these people's arms, but it still didn't compare to the hugs from his mothers.

"It's gonna be alright, H. Why don't you go home and get some rest, because I know you're probably tired"

As Henry pulled out of the embrace ready to object Morgan beat him to it, "You can always come back later, but for now, you need to rest. Besides me and Reid here are about to take a nap anyways"

The little boy sighed but nodded his head, "Okay"

"That's my man" Morgan told him proudly

The dark skinned man then leaned forward just enough so that he could brush some of the soft blonde hair away from the boy's forehead before placing a kiss there.

"I love you little man" he told the seven year old sincerely

"Love you too Uncle Derek"

Reid had been paying close attention to the entire exchange when he finally spoke up.

"Hey do I not get any love over here?" he questioned

Henry smiled as he slid off of Morgan's bed and walked the couple of feet to Reid's bed. He placed his hands on the mattress and could feel the pain in his wrists. He pulled his hands back quickly. Rossi noticed so he made his away around the bed and picked the boy up. He held him close to Reid so that the seven year old could lean forward and place a kiss on the young agent's cheek.

"I love you Uncle Spence" he told the young genius

Reid smiled as he told his godson, "I love you too Henry"

Rossi then placed the seven year old back on the ground. The older man said his goodbyes to the two agents so that they could get some rest before heading out of the room with Henry.

Later that day Rossi finally convinced a nurse to help Ethan into a wheelchair so he could take the young boy down to see his mothers. Once the brunette was situated in the wheelchair Rossi pushed him out of ICU and down the hall to the elevators. They got off and made their way through another set of ICU doors. When they were just inside, Rossi stopped the wheelchair and walked around to stand in front of Ethan.

Kneeling down in front of the young Prentiss boy the older man looked intently at Ethan, "Are you sure you're up for this kid?"

"Yes Uncle Dave. I want to see them. I have too" he answered

Rossi nodded before standing up and pushing Ethan's chair down the hall to Emily's room. He wheeled the eleven year old up next to her bed before stopping. Then he stepped closer to the bed to lean down and place a kiss to the brunette woman's forehead.

"Morning beautiful" he said as he stood back up, "I brought someone to visit you"

Rossi turned to look at Ethan who appeared to have an almost shell shock look on his face.

"Ethan? Are you okay?" the older man asked

The eleven year was silent for a moment before he finally responded, "What? Yeah…just"

"I know" Rossi said with a nod as he placed a comforting hand on the boy's shoulder

Ethan leaned forward, reaching out his right hand when he hissed out in pain. The movement sent a sharp pain up the left side of his rib cage from where his ribs were bruised and his surgical sight was.

"Ethan" Rossi said in a nervous tone as he reached quickly for the brunette boy

"It's…okay" he told the older man as he finally caught his breath, "I just…forgot about my…ribs for a sec…and my stitches"

Rossi nodded as he squeezed the boy's shoulder again, forgetting for a moment that he had to have surgery to repair his spleen.

"Could you help me sit on the bed?"

Rossi sent a look to Ethan that said no, but the boy pressed further, "Please…I want to give her a kiss, and hold her hand…Please?"

Rossi stared into the sad brown eyes of the eleven year old and he couldn't bring himself to tell the kid no.

"Oh for heavens sake" the older man said, which earned him a slight smile from the young boy

Rossi looked around quickly to make sure no nurses were around before he hooked an arm carefully under Ethan's armpits and then looping his other arm under the boy's knees and lifting him gently up out of the wheelchair. He took a step forward before turning and setting Ethan gently onto Emily's bed so that he could sit with his legs dangling off.

Ethan sat rim rod straight for a moment as his ribs yelled at him for the position they were put in. He made a mental note not to swing his legs and to sit as still as possible to avoid the most pain. He then reached his right hand forward enough to take his mother's right hand in his.

"Hi Mama" he said as he began talking to her

Rossi wanted to give the two some time alone but he didn't want to risk the chance of leaving Ethan alone in his condition. The older man tried to ignore what Ethan was saying, but eventually gave in as he listened to the eleven year old talk to his mother, begging her to be okay and to wake up. Rossi let a stray tear run down his cheek as he continued to listen until Ethan finally called Rossi over.

"I think I'm finished. I mean I don't want to leave but I want to go see Mama J and I'm getting kinda tired" he told the older man

"Okay" Rossi replied as he moved to scoop Ethan up

As he did Ethan pulled away, "Wait…will you help me get closer?"

Rossi looked at the eleven year old with a questioning look, so Ethan said, "I want to give her a kiss"

"Ah..okay" the older man responded as he scooped Ethan up and turned so that the boy could lean down slightly.

The eleven year old leaned forward enough and placed a gentle kiss on his mother's cheek before saying, "I love you mom"

Rossi put Ethan back in the wheelchair and wheeled him just down the hall to JJ's room. Rossi ended up moving the boy again so that he could actually see and touch JJ. Once again Rossi listened as Ethan spoke to his blonde mother, keeping his hand tightly grasped to JJ's. When he was finished Rossi picked him up and moved him so that the brunette boy could place a kiss on JJ's cheek.

"I love you mom" he told her before the older man turned away from the bed

Rossi then placed Ethan gently back in the wheelchair before taking him back to his room and having a nurse help him back into bed. He was given some more pain medication before he slipped back into sleep. A little while later a nurse came in to check on Ethan's stitches. Rossi glanced over her shoulder as she moved his hospital gown enough to examine his surgical sight. The older man sighed as he saw about a three inch line of stitches, at a slight angle, that started just below his pec area and went down across the top part of his rib cage area. The nurse finished cleaning the area before leaving the room once again.

Over the next two days all of the agents, minus Reid who wasn't allowed to leave his bed, would rotate sitting with the two women. Emily still hadn't woken up and the doctors were giving JJ the extra couple of days before they brought her out of the medically induced coma.

All of the BAU family had now been able to go home, shower, change, and even sleep for awhile before coming back up and taking their turns keeping watch. Henry still had nightmares every now and then and still moped around, not acting like himself, but otherwise he seemed to be doing okay. Declan and Ethan had both been moved to a regular room on the pediatric floor, which gave Jack and Henry the chance to visit with them longer. However Declan and Ethan still wouldn't speak to each other unless absolutely necessary and neither of the boys would talk to anyone about what happened between them. Even Henry, who was there when his two older brothers got into the fight, wouldn't say what had happened, partly because he didn't understand it all. What he did know was that they were really upset with each other.

Reid was able to sit up in bed more and the doctors said his injuries, especially his lungs, were looking really good. And if everything remained that way that he could possibly be released the next week.

Morgan was being released sometime today, with strict orders to not overly exert himself. They recommended him having someone in his house with him which the dark skinned agent began to argue about. But before he could get very far Rossi spoke up.

"Don't worry doctor, he will be staying with me until he is better"

Morgan looked at the older man in shock, "Rossi I am perfectly capable of-"

"Save it kid. Until you are able to use that arm you are going to be staying with me. Got it" he told Morgan in an authoritative voice

"But I-"

Rossi glared at the younger man, who finally sighed and gave up arguing, mainly because he didn't have all the strength needed to continue an argument and because he was pretty sure with everything that had happened he wasn't going to win the argument anyway.

Once they got Morgan's paperwork all filled out and he was officially discharged Rossi was going to go ahead and take him back to his house. However, Hotch came and found them, telling the other two men that the doctors were going to try to bring JJ out of the coma. So the two men followed Hotch to the waiting room where they were told the doctors would come update them as soon as they knew how she was doing.

Morgan had refused the wheelchair when he realized he was going to be staying in the hospital a while longer to wait on news about his friend. The nurse wasn't happy but she couldn't force him to use it.

When the three men entered the waiting room they found Garcia and Kevin already seated in chairs, waiting impatiently. There were also a few other people meandering around the waiting room as well. Morgan took a seat next to Garcia, while Hotch and Rossi remained standing so that they could pace the room.

Jessica was at the Jareau-Prentiss house with Jack, Henry, and Penny so that the kids could all rest, while the adults took care of things at the hospital.

As they sat around the waiting room everyone was thinking about what a long week it had been. It had now been eleven days since Morgan was shot, and Emily, JJ, and the kids were kidnapped. It had been exactly seven days since the Jareau-Prentiss family had been admitted to the hospital and although no one would say it, everyone was thinking about how Emily should have woken up days ago, but was still unconscious.

About an hour later JJ's doctor came into the waiting room and motioned for the adults to follow him into the hallway away from the other families that were awaiting news on their loved ones. Everyone crowded together as the doctor prepared to tell them the status of their blonde friend.

"We've taken her off all of the sedatives that she has been on. We've been slowly weaning her off for the past few days, but she is now off of all of them. However, the chances of her waking up today are very small, so there really is no need for all of you to wait around all day. It's going to take awhile for her body to adjust to not being on any of the sedatives so she might not wake up until tomorrow" he informed the adults who were all huddled together

"But there's still a possibility" Hotch questioned, watching the behavior of the doctor

"There's always a possibility, Agent" he responded

"But she seems to be doing alright?" Garcia asked as she stared at the doctor

"Yes" he said with a nod "Her vitals are strong and she has been responding well to the decrease in medication over the last few days. Hopefully when she wakes up she will be doing well enough to be transferred to a regular room"

"We can go see her now?" this time it was Rossi who asked the question

The doctor again nodded, "Yes, but still only two at a time"

The group nodded in understanding before Hotch extended his hand to the doctor, "Thank you doctor"

The young man nodded as he shook Hotch's hand before he turned and walked back down the hallway away from the group of agents.

Hotch stepped forward, turning to face the group, "Well?"

Rossi turned looking at the people around him, "How about if Morgan and I sit with her first. Then I will take him home and get him settled"

"Rossi I'm a grown man I don't need you to get me 'settled'" the dark man stated, slightly agitated

The older man raised an eyebrow at the younger agent, which elicited another comment from Morgan, "And it's not my home, it's your house"

Rossi gave a slight nod, "True. But it will be _your_ house too for the next few weeks"

Morgan sighed but only said, "Let's just go see JJ" as he began to walk away from the group.

The agents watched the darker man pause for a moment, most likely attempting to block out a stab of pain that he encountered while trying to walk away from them too fast.

"He's so damn stubborn" Rossi stated with a shake of his head

"Oh please. Almost all of you are stubborn" Garcia huffed out

Hotch let out a slight smile at the truth of the blonde's statement. Then he watched Rossi follow Morgan down the hallway.

"Okay I think I'm going to spend some time with Jack and the other two kids. What do you two say? Want to join me?" the leader asked as he looked from Kevin to Garcia

"You don't have to ask me twice" Garcia answered as she took a step forward and looped her arm through Hotch's before jerking him back towards Kevin so she could loop her other arm through his, before leading the two men to the hospital exit.

A couple of hours later, after Rossi had taken Morgan to his house to get him settled in, Garcia and Hotch were both sitting with JJ. As Hotch shifted in his chair he caught movement out of the corner of his eye that came from the bed. He quickly turned his eyesight directly to the bed to find JJ moving her head back and forth slowly just as a moan came from her mouth.

Garcia jumped out of her chair as she moved to stand next to the bed, leaning over her blonde friend. Hotch stood up and moved closer to the bed as well as he slipped his hand around JJ's squeezing it slightly.

"JJ" he said gently, "It's okay JJ, open your eyes"

"Come on gumdrop. You heard the boss man" Garcia added

The blonde slowly opened her eyes, her eyelids fluttering as her eyes attempted to adjust to the light in the room. Her blue eyes opened to meet those of Hotch's brown ones, before slowly turning towards Garcia's.

Hotch and Garcia both had huge smiles on their faces as they stared down at their friend.

"Oh Jayje I was so freakin scared" the bubbly blonde stated as she bent down and placed kiss on her friends cheek

JJ closed her eyes for a second before opening them, licking her lips, and swallowing. Then she looked at Garcia with tears in her eyes.

"Sorry" JJ squeaked out hoarsely

"Oh sweetie you have nothing to be sorry about. It's me who's sorry…for everything" the blonde analyst replied

JJ nodded slightly as she closed her eyes again. Then she opened them and turned towards Hotch, who was still gripping her hand, and staring down at her the worry evident on his face.

"You had us all worried" he told her

The tears began to build up in the blonde's eyes again before she questioned in a rough, hoarse voice, "Em?"

"She's just down the hall" Hotch told her

The blonde let out a sigh of relief as she closed her eyes and gave another slight nod. Then she opened her eyes, "The…boys?"

Hotch nodded, "Declan and Ethan are sharing a room on the pediatric floor. They are both pretty banged up, but the doctors say they should be okay. And Henry is at the house with Jack and Penny"

The blonde let out another sigh of relief as a couple of tears managed to escape and run down her cheeks.

"They are…all going to…be okay?" JJ asked again

Hotch gave a slight nod, "Declan was shot in the shoulder-"

"Protecting…Emily" JJ said cutting into the conversation

"Water" she requested as she tried to sit up, but immediately regretting her actions

"Easy gumdrop. You were shot also" Garcia said as she tried to calm her friend while Hotch poured a glass of water

Hotch then tilted her bed up enough that she could drink the water without spilling it all over herself. Once JJ finished the glass of water she took another deep breath before turning back to Hotch.

"How bad is his shoulder?" she asked, her voice clearing up tremendously

"They had to surgically remove the bullet and he has a long recovery ahead of him, but the doctors are optimistic" he told her

JJ nodded sadly before Hotch spoke up again, "You said he was shot protecting Emily?"

JJ nodded again, "Chloe was going to shoot her…Emily was trying to protect me and in turn she got shot in the arm…Then…Chloe aimed the gun right at…right at Emily's chest…if…if Declan hadn't jumped in front of the gun…she'd…Emily would…she would have been killed"

Garcia sat down on the bed next to her friend, wrapping her arm around the small blonde's shoulders as JJ let a few more tears escape. JJ finally looked back over at her boss who had a sad look on his face.

"How's Ethan and Henry?" she asked wanting to know all that she could

"Henry's fine physically. He has some bruises and cuts around his wrists and ankles from the duct tape, but other than that and the tazer marks he's okay"

"He was tazered too?" JJ asked with an almost horrified look

The team leader merely nodded, "I guess you know then that the other two were tazered?"

The blonde nodded slowly, "They tazered Ethan and Declan right in front of us. We couldn't do anything"

"Well he's going to be just fine. Probably much better now that he will get to see that you are awake and okay"

"Ethan?" JJ questioned

"He's got a nasty head injury, but he has been doing well since he woke up. His looks worse than it is because they still have his entire head bandaged up, but the doctors said they should be removing that and just placing some bandages across the actual wound"

"He was bleeding pretty badly the last time I saw him…How many stitches?" she asked

"Eighteen staples on his head" Hotch answered "And about 12 stitches across his ribs"

JJ flinched slightly at his answer, "Wait. His ribs?"

Hotch nodded, "He had to have his spleen surgically repaired but he is doing well and the doctors assured me that he will be just fine and that it should heal nicely"

JJ just shook her head letting the silence encompass the room for a few minutes.

"How's Emily…medically?" the blonde finally asked

Garcia slowly removed her arm from her friends shoulders so that she could reach down and take one of JJ's hands in her own. JJ looked from Garcia to Hotch when neither of them spoke up.

"How is she?" JJ asked again, this time more forcefully

"She still hasn't woken up"

JJ's eyes grew wide, "How long has it been since you guys found us?"

"A week"

"A _whole _week?" she asked wanting clarification

Hotch nodded, "You and Emily were the only two who hadn't woken up yet. But you were in a medical coma and they didn't pull you completely out of it until earlier today"

JJ had shock written all over her face as she stared at her boss, "Is Emily..is she in a coma too?"

Hotch shook his head, "The doctors said no, but-"

"But what Hotch?" JJ said, the anger evident in her voice

"They don't know why she hasn't woken up" he told the blonde as he looked at her, the worry evident on his strong features

"They had to hook her up to a ventilator a few days ago because she stopped breathing-"

"Oh my God" the blonde stated as she began breathing heavier, her heart rate increasing and causing the monitor to beep loudly

"JJ calm down…They think everything was caused because her body is fighting an infection" Hotch told her as he grabbed her other hand

A doctor and a nurse came rushing into the room at that time and pushed Garcia and Hotch out of the way to examine JJ. Once they explained what had happened, the doctor nodded, before checking the blonde over one more time just to be sure her vitals and everything was okay. The doctor then explained to the blonde about all of her injuries to make sure she understood what she was facing.

Once the doctor left, JJ was still tilted up in bed and she turned to look at Hotch again.

"What caused the infection?" she asked

"JJ"

"Damn it Hotch. Tell me or I am getting myself out of this bed. I _will_ find a way to get to her room and find out for myself"

There was not a doubt in the team leaders mind that the blonde would do exactly that.

"Whatever she was stabbed in the hand with, was rusted they think, and her body has been trying to fight off an infection. They think that's why she stopped breathing. But she has been breathing on her own. They just still have her hooked up to the machine until she wakes up, just to be safe"

"A screwdriver" the blonde said quietly

"What?" Hotch questioned, not sure he heard her correctly

"Doyle stabbed her through the hand with a rusty screwdriver…to…to make sure she wouldn't move" JJ answered as she looked away from both of her friends

"Son of a bitch" stated Hotch as he tried to control his anger

"So they don't know why she hasn't woken up?" the blonde asked, changing the subject

Hotch shook his head, "No they don't"

"So she wasn't shot?" JJ asked after a moment of silence

"In the arm and the top of her shoulder"

"But not anywhere else?" the blonde asked again

Hotch's face narrowed in confusion as he shook his head, "No. Why?"

"Before I passed out…she was fighting Doyle…They rolled out of my sight and I heard…I heard a gunshot and then…nothing"

Hotch shook his head as he gripped her shoulder comfortingly, "No. She shot him"

JJ nodded as more tears slid down her face. They were a silent for a couple more minutes before the blonde agent turned to her boss.

"Is there any way I could see Declan and Ethan tonight?" she asked, nearly begged

"I'll see what I can do" he told her as he bent down and kissed her forehead before turning and walking out of the room

As soon as Hotch was out of sight Garcia threw her arms around her friend and pulled her in carefully for a hug. JJ clung to her best friend as she began to cry, letting more tears out.

"Gumdrop I don't think I have _ever_ been so scared before and I am _so_ glad you and the munchkins are going to be alright. Now all we need is our raven haired beauty to wake up and our family will be back to normal" she told the blonde as she kissed her on the cheek

"I love you so much Jennifer Jareau. Do you know that?" she said as she pulled away from the blonde slightly

JJ nodded as she wiped away some of the tears, "I know…I love you too Garcia"

About twenty minutes later Hotch came back into the room, pushing Ethan in wheelchair. The young brunette's face immediately lit up when he saw his blonde mother sitting up in bed, her blue eyes looking back at him.

"MOM" he said excitedly a smile across his face

"Hey baby" JJ said, smiling back at him

Her smile began to fade when she realized he was in a wheelchair. She looked up at Hotch and was about to say something, but he noticed and cut her off.

"It's hospital protocol for him to be in a wheelchair, especially with his head injury" he told her

JJ nodded as she bit her bottom lip as she stared at her brunette son who still had a bandage wrapped all the way around his head. As Hotch wheeled him up next to the bed, she began to notice the bruising on his face and arms from someone grabbing him and her heart broke.

Before Hotch could stop the young boy he had already pushed himself out of the chair and tried to climb up on the bed. However, the brunette immediately felt a burning pain in his ribs as he moved too quickly. He grabbed his ribs in pain and his knees almost hit the ground, but Hotch caught him before he did, scooping him up into his arms.

"Oh my God. What happened? What's wrong?" JJ asked as she leaned forward, her ribs screaming in pain as well as she did

Ethan was still trying to catch his breath, his eyes shut tight as he fought off the pain he was feeling.

"It's okay JJ. He has some bruised and fractured ribs. He just forgot and moved to fast" the team leader told her as held Ethan like a baby in his arms

"He has fractured ribs?" she asked sadly

"Just one. The others are bruised" Hotch answered

Ethan finally opened his eyes to find Hotch staring directly down at him, "You okay?"

The boy nodded slowly, "I think so"

"Maybe next time wait for someone to help you" he told the youngster in a loving, yet fatherly, tone

Ethan nodded before asking, "Can I sit with mom? Please?"

Hotch looked from Ethan to JJ, "I don't think I really have a choice in this matter"

The team leader took a step closer to the bed and carefully turned Ethan to sit him on the bed next to JJ. Hotch and Garcia watched as Ethan and JJ both ignored the pain in their ribs and leaned towards each other. JJ wrapped her arms around the eleven year old and pulled him gently towards her. He reciprocated as he wrapped his arms around her waist carefully. He buried his head in the crook of her neck, inhaling her scent and immediately feeling safer than he had in days.

"I love you _so_ much Ethan" she told him, her voice cracking

"I love you too mommy" he replied, his voice slightly muffled by his face still being buried in her neck

Hotch was fighting back the tears while Garcia let a few escape freely down her cheeks.

As the mother and son pulled apart JJ reached up touching the bandage around Ethan's head carefully, "How's your head?"

"It's okay" he answered

JJ smiled slightly, "Why do I feel like you are just saying that to make me feel better"

Ethan shrugged his shoulders before asking, "Can I lay with you for awhile?"

JJ smiled at him and nodded, "Of course"

Hotch moved forward again as he helped shift Ethan so that he was leaning against the head of the bed just like JJ. The dark haired agent smiled as he saw Ethan shift closer to JJ, leaning his head into her shoulder. He and Garcia watched as JJ lifted her arm and wrapped it around the young brunette's shoulders pulling him closer and allowing him to turn his head to rest on her chest. She placed a soft kiss to the top of his head before letting her eyes close for a moment.

"We are going to give you guys a few minutes" Hotch said as he motioned towards Garcia, "And I'll bring Declan with me when I come back"

JJ opened her eyes and nodded at her boss before closing them again as she held onto Ethan.

About fifteen minutes later Hotch returned, and as he said, he brought Declan, pushing him through the door to JJ's room.

Ethan had fallen asleep against his blonde mother, but JJ was still awake and smiled brightly at her teenage son. As soon as Declan saw her his eyes lit up as well.

"Mom" he said with a smile

"Declan" she said returning the enthusiasm

Hotch wheeled the teenager to the other side of the bed, before locking the brakes. Declan then stood up out of the wheelchair and took a final step towards the bed. He bent over as she leaned forward slightly, he wrapping his left around her neck as she wrapped her right arm around his waist.

"I love you mom" he told her sincerely

"I love you too Dec" she replied

As they pulled apart he turned to sit carefully on the bed next to her before leaning forward and kissing her on the cheek and allowing her to do the same. Then JJ reach out with her right hand and brushed some of his wavy hair away from his forehead.

"I'm so sorry Declan…You're shoulder…I-"

The teenager cut her off before she could continue, "It's not your fault. And I would do again in a heartbeat…I'm the one who's sorry"

JJ watched as Declan dropped his eyes slightly to look at the bed. The blonde agent immediately moved her hand to his chin, lifting his head so that blue eyes met blue.

"You listen to me Declan Prentiss" she told him in a serious tone, "_NONE_ of this is your fault. Do you hear me?"

The teenager bit his lower lip as he looked into his mother's blue eyes as he fought back the tears that wanted to fall, but he slowly nodded in understanding.

Hotch left Declan and JJ alone for awhile so that they could spend some time together. He made his way out to where he could call Rossi and Morgan to let them know that JJ was awake. Then he called Jessica and filled her in. They both agreed that she should bring Henry up to see JJ, thinking it would settle his nerves quite a bit.

When the dark haired man made it back JJ's room he noticed the exhaustion across Declan's face. He looked at JJ who nodded her head.

"Declan" Hotch said as he walked up beside the teenager

The blonde looked up at Hotch and nodded, "I know. I need to go back to my room and rest"

The team leader nodded, "Don't worry I will bring you back first thing in the morning"

The teenager nodded before turning back to his blonde mother, "I'm _really_ glad you're okay"

The sincerity in the sixteen year old's voice brought the blonde woman to tears. She fought back her emotions as her eyes filled up with.

"And I'm glad you are okay Declan Prentiss. I. Love. You" she told him

He nodded, "I know. I love you too"

Hotch then took control of the wheelchair as he pushed the teenager back to his room.

While JJ waited for her boss to return she turned her attention to the eleven year old brunette lying next to her. She reached up and brushed her knuckles down his cheek relishing in the fact that he and the other boys were going to be okay. How they lucked out in surviving she would never understand. But she would always be thankful. She leaned over enough to press a kiss to Ethan's cheekbone. He began to stir and slowly opened his eyes.

"Sorry E, I didn't mean to wake you up" she told him

"It's okay" he replied with a yawn

She smiled down at the kind hearted boy and stared at him with a certain intensity. Ethan noticed and he cocked his head to the side slightly.

"Mom?" he questioned

"I just love you so much Ethan. You know that, right?"

He stared back with just as much intensity, before nodding his head, "I know. I love you too"

JJ nodded as her lips formed a thin line as she struggled to hold the tears at bay. She bent over slightly to press another kiss to the tip of his nose.

"It's okay if you want to cry mama J. I'm still scared mom isn't going to wake up." He confessed

JJ sighed as she pulled him tighter against her, as gently as she could, "Oh baby, your mom is the strongest woman I have ever known. She isn't going to give up without a fight."

Ethan didn't answer for fear that he would begin to cry as well. Instead he simply nodded his head.

"And the tears that I'm attempting to hold back are actually tears of joy, because I am so happy that all of you boys are going to be okay. I don't know what I would do if I lost any of you"

Ethan didn't say anything; he merely snuggled closer to his blonde mother, wanting to be as physically close to her as he could.

A few minutes later Hotch came back through the door and couldn't help but smile at the sight before him. Ethan was completely snuggled into JJ and she was holding onto him as if she might never be able to hold him again. He could see the tears running down the blonde woman's face and he fought hard to control his own emotions. JJ finally noticed him and cleared her throat.

"Hey Hotch"

"Hey guys" he said walking up to the bed, "I thought I would come take Ethan back to his room for awhile so that he can rest"

"I don't wanna go" the eleven year old stated as he clung tightly to JJ

"It's okay E, I promise you can come back. But you need to go rest in your own bed for awhile" JJ told him

"No" he replied

Hotch and JJ looked at each other, knowing Ethan didn't normally act like this.

"Hey buddy" Hotch began, "Jessica is bringing Henry and Penny up here so that they can see JJ, but the nurses aren't going to let that many people in here with you and I still here. So what do you say you go rest for awhile in your room and later if you want to come to see JJ I'll bring you back"

Ethan thought for a moment before answering, "You promise?"

"Promise" Hotch told him

Ethan nodded before leaning up slightly to press a kiss to JJ's cheek, "I'll be back mom"

"I look forward to it E" she replied

He smiled slightly as Hotch helped him back into his wheelchair before taking him back to the room he was sharing with Declan.

Garcia was sitting with Emily, while Hotch waited outside the ICU for Jessica and the kids. About half an hour later she showed up with Henry, Jack, and Penny. He saw them coming down the hall and both Henry and Jack were smiling.

"Mommy woke up?" Henry asked as he ran up to Hotch

The dark haired man nodded his head as he squatted down to the seven year old's level, "Yes but she's still pretty sore so you are going to have to be careful around her"

Henry nodded in understanding. Hotch then stood back up and reached out for the blonde toddler. Jessica handed her over to her brother in law smiling as he kissed Penny on the cheek causing her to giggle.

"Mama" she said as she stared at Hotch

"Yes sweetie, we are going to see your mama" he told her smiling as she clapped her hands together

Then he turned and looked at his own son, "Jack I'm going to take these two back first. Then if JJ is still up for it, I'll let you and your aunt go back there for a little bit, okay?"

Jack frowned slightly but nodded in understanding.

Hotch noticed his son's change in demeanor, shifting Penny to his right arm, he reached his left arm out and lifted Jack's chin with his left hand.

"Hey JJ loves you and I can pretty much guarantee that when she finds out you're here too she will definitely want to see you"

"Really?" the ten year old questioned

Hotch nodded, "Definitely"

Jack smiled widely before nodding his head, "Okay"

Hotch patted his ten year old son on the head before turning and heading towards the ICU doors. After going through them he reached down with his left hand and took hold of Henry's room as he led the seven year old to his mother's room.

As soon as Hotch got to the doorway Henry had dropped his hand, "MOM"

JJ's eyes darted to the doorway as she saw her seven year old smiling and running towards her and she smiled in return. She smiled even bigger as she took in his outfit. He was wearing almost knee length dark blue shorts with faint black/red/gray large plaid print across them, a red t-shirt with a gray shaka symbol on it and the word quicksilver written across it, along with his gray Velcro Vans shoes. As soon as Henry got to her bed he stopped and looked at his mom.

"Can I come up?"

"Yes baby boy" she told him as she watched him carefully climb up on her bed

He smiled as he looked at his mother.

"Are you going to get into these arms?" she asked with a smile

He smiled even wider as he threw himself forward as carefully as he could, leaning on his knees and wrapping his arms around her neck. JJ wrapped her arms around his waist, pulling him close as she hugged him tightly. She let a few tears run down her cheeks as she continued to hug her son, kissing his head before reaching up with her hand and running her fingers through his silky blonde hair.

"I love you so much Henry" she told him as she rocked him gently without causing herself too much pain

"I love you too mommy" he told her as he squeezed her neck slightly tighter

When they finally pulled apart JJ stared into her son's light brown eyes, smiling again.

"Are you okay baby?" she asked as she ran a hand through his hair again

He nodded, "I just miss you. I want you to come home"

"Oh baby, I want to come home too, but I think it might be a couple more days before that happens"

The seven year old sighed before looking back up at his mother's bruised face, "Are you gonna be okay?"

JJ's face softened at her son's concern as she nodded and forced a closed lip smile, "Yeah sport, I'm gonna be okay"

"Good" he nodded as he continued to sit on his knees

JJ took that moment to look over at Hotch who was still holding Penny. The toddler noticed her mother and immediately reached her arms out towards JJ.

"Mama" she said excitedly

"Hi baby girl" JJ replied as she reached her arms out for her daughter

Hotch walked up to the bed and carefully set Penny on JJ's lap. He watched as the toddler leaned forward into JJ's chest. The blonde woman let a few more tears slide down her cheek as she wrapped her arms around her daughter, cuddling her close to her and kissing the top of her blonde head. The team leader smiled when Penny looked up at her mother and JJ requested a kiss. The toddler puckered her lips and JJ kissed them before hugging her tight to her chest again. Then she reached over with one hand and pulled Henry down next to her. The seven year old complied as he lay next to his mother, while his sister sat on her lap.

Hotch stepped out of the room to give the family some privacy for a few minutes. While he was out in the hall JJ looked down at her son lying next to her.

"I like your outfit H" she told him

He looked up at her with a sad smile, "You and mama Em picked it out for me…I weared the other outfit too"

JJ held onto Penny with one hand as she stroked her other hand through her son's hair, "Baby what's wrong?"

He was silent for a minute as he chewed on the inside of his mouth. Then without looking up at his mother he said, "I'm scared"

"What are you scared of?" JJ asked as she looked intently at her seven year old

"Is mama gonna die?" he asked still not looking at his mother

JJ closed her eyes trying to keep composure. Then she kissed her son's forehead.

"Henry look at me" she told him gently

Slowly the blonde boy lifted his head so that light brown eyes met blue.

"It's okay if you want to cry, you know that right?" she asked the little boy

He nodded as he continued to look at his mother.

"Okay. Well I can't tell you what's going to happen to Mama Em. What I do know is that she's very strong and she won't give up without a fight"

The seven year old immediately started crying, "She got hurted coz of me…She was fighting trying to save me"

JJ was at a loss as her son began to cry and talk about what had happened while they had been held captive. She looked over her son's head and saw Hotch turn to look through the window into the room. She waved to him to get him to come into the room. He immediately came into the room.

"What's wrong?" he asked concerned

"Will you take Penny for a minute" she asked as she motioned towards the toddler who was still sitting on her lap

Hotch nodded as he scooped up the blonde little girl who began to cry for her mama. JJ's heart broke as she listened to both of her children cry, but she knew at this time that Henry needed her more. Hotch began to bounce the toddler and reassure her that it was okay as he walked out of the room and down the hall. JJ assumed he was taking her out of the ICU so she didn't disturb any of the other patients.

JJ then turned all of her attention to her son as she pulled him close with both of her arms.

"Baby nothing that happened was your fault" she told him as she kissed the top of his head

"Uh huh" he said as he began to hiccup

"Henry why do you think it was your fault?" she asked him as she continued to hold him

"The bad man…hiccup…saids things…hiccup…to her about…me…hiccup…and he grabbed me…hiccup…real hard" the seven year old said as he sniffled, reaching up to wipe at his nose with the back of his hand

"He held a gun…hiccup…to my head…twoed times…hiccup…and Mama Em…fighted him" he told his mother as he sniffled some more

JJ couldn't control her own tears as she listened to her son recount some of the events that she did not witness and her heart broke. It broke for her son who had to go through what he did and it broke for Emily who she knew, without a doubt, would gladly of died for Henry in order to save him. She ran her fingers through her son's hair and kissed his head several times as she held him close.

"Oh baby…I love you so much" she told him as he continued to hiccup and sniffle, "But none of this is your fault. Emily was just doing what she would have done for any of us. That's part of who she is. She protects everyone she loves, no matter what"

"But she's hurted" he pointed out again

"I know she is sweetie, but that's not because of you. I promise. The only people who are to blame are the bad people" she told him as she kissed him again

He still wasn't completely convinced, but hearing his mom tell him it wasn't his fault made him feel a little better. They snuggled a while longer before Hotch and Garcia came back into the room.

"Hey sorry to interrupt but it's almost dinner time" he said as he walked closer to the bed, "And I have another little boy who was really hoping to see you for a minute"

JJ looked at Hotch questioningly before she smiled, "Jack?"

He nodded with a small smile, "But if you don't feel up to it-"

"Stop right there Hotch. Of course I want to see Jack. Send him in" she told her boss

"Hey buddy after I bring Jack in here what do you say I take you guys to get some pizza" the dark haired man asked

The little boy shrugged his shoulders. Garcia looked sadly at her godson.

"Hey Henry, what do you say we go wait with Penny while Jack comes in here to see your mom" Garcia suggested

The seven year old looked up at his mother, as if asking for permission. She nodded her head, kissing his forehead again.

"Go on baby. I'll see you tomorrow" she told him

He leaned up and kissed her on the lips, "I love you mommy"

"I love you too sweetie" she replied with a smile

Henry reluctantly got off the bed, taking his godmothers hand and walking with her and Hotch out of the ICU. In the hall Garcia took Penny from Jessica so that she and Jack could go in and see JJ.

As Hotch, Jessica, and Jack walked into JJ's room, Jack's face immediately lit up.

"Aunt Jen" he said enthusiastically

"Hey champ" she responded with a smile as she saw the ten year old

He climbed carefully up on the bed beside her and sat dangling his feet off the side shyly.

"Can I get a hug?" she asked as she stared at the caramel haired boy

"I don't want to hurt you" he told her nervously

"Don't worry. A hug will only make me feel better" she assured him

He smiled as he leaned towards her allowing her arms to wrap around him lovingly as his arms circled her waist carefully. He sighed when she kissed the top of his head in a motherly way as he continued to lay his head on her chest. Hotch also smiled at the sight before him, thankful that JJ and Emily both treated Jack like one of their own.

They pulled away after a minute and he looked seriously into blue eyes before saying, "I'm glad you're okay Aunt JJ"

She smiled lovingly at the boy, "Thanks Jack…I love you"

He smiled, "I love you too"

He leaned forward and kissed her gently on the cheek and in return she reached up and ruffled his short hair, causing him to giggle.

"I'm glad you're okay too JJ" Jessica told the other blonde woman

"Thank you" JJ replied, "And thank you for helping out…taking care of Penny and-"

Jessica held up a hand to silence the agent, "Please. It's no problem. You all have been so good to Jack…and me…over the years. There's no way I wouldn't help out"

JJ smiled and nodded at the woman.

"Okay, well we need to let JJ rest for now so that she can get better faster" Hotch said, mainly speaking to his son

"I'll see you tomorrow" JJ said questioningly to Jack

"Duh" he answered with a smile

She rolled her eyes at the ten year old before leaning forward and placing one last kiss on his forehead. Then she watched as he slid off of the bed and followed his aunt out of the room. Hotch watched them before turning back to JJ and walking up to her.

"I'll be back after I go have dinner with them" he told the blonde woman

"Hotch I'll be fine" she told him slightly annoyed

"I'll be the judge of that" he told her

She rolled her eyes at her boss but was thankful that he was as protective as he was.

"Get some rest" he told her before bending over and kissing the top of her head

She nodded as she lay back against her bed, watching him head down the hallway. Then she closed her eyes and prayed that Emily would wake up soon and that she would be okay.

JJ felt as though she barely had her eyes closed for a few minutes when she felt someone touch her forehead. Her eyes flew open and she found herself looking up into the eyes of David Rossi. She sighed as she tried to gain control of her breathing.

"Hey kid" he said with a smile

She returned the smile as she stared up at the older man. It was then that she also felt someone holding her hand on her other side. She turned her head and saw Derek Morgan staring at her, the sadness evident across his face.

"Derek" she said quietly before clearing her voice

"Hey blondie" he said with a smile

JJ stared at her friend a little longer before she squeezed his hand back and smiled at him, "You're okay"

He tilted his head to the side as he looked at her intensely, "Yeah. A little gunshot isn't going to stop me"

She smiled, before frowning and shaking her head slightly, "They told us you were dead"

"Well they were wrong…although apparently I came pretty close" he confessed

"Reid?" she asked turning her head back towards Rossi, who was still standing on the other side of her bed

"He's going to be okay. He and Morgan have been sharing a room" the older man told the blonde woman

She raised an eyebrow as she turned her attention back to Morgan, "Really?"

The dark agent let out a small laugh, the first laugh in over a week, as he smiled at his friend.

"True story" he told her

"I feel horrible…I didn't even ask about you guys earlier" JJ confessed, a tear slipping down her cheek

"Hey" Morgan said as he reached up and brushed the tear away, "You had _a lot_ on your mind. I don't fault you for that. Your family is the most important thing"

JJ looked directly into Morgan's dark eyes, "You _are_ family Morgan"

"Thanks blondie, but that's not quite what I meant" he replied with a small smile

"I know_ exactly_ what you meant. And I know what I meant. You are part of our family Derek…You, Rossi, Reid, Garcia, Hotch…all of you guys. You and the kids…you're all we have"

Morgan stood up from his chair and leaned forward placing a kiss on the blonde woman's forehead.

"Well I for one, could not ask for a better group of kids to call family" Rossi stated

"Oh really?" Morgan questioned

"Well most of the time" Rossi added with a smile, getting both Morgan and JJ to smile

"We won't stay too long sweetheart. We just heard you were awake and wanted to come see for ourselves" Rossi told the blonde

"Where were you guys?" she asked

Rossi smiled bigger this time but before he could answer Morgan replied quickly, "In hell"

JJ looked questioningly between the two men as Rossi glared in a slightly fun way at the dark agent.

"Watch it kid or you'll be out on the street"

"Really?" Morgan asked hopefully

The two men then both released a small smile before they filled the blonde in on what had transpired and that Derek was staying with Rossi until he could manage more things on his own. They left a short time later, allowing JJ to once again succumb to sleep.

Later that night Hotch was snoozing in the chair next to JJ's bed while she slept. He had kept his word and had come back that evening after taking Henry and Jack out for dinner. Just down the hall Rossi was snoozing in the chair next to Emily's bed, choosing to stay the night with her. Garcia had offered to stay at his mansion with Morgan, while Kevin had gone back to his place to attempt a good night of sleep. This left Jessica at the Jareau-Prentiss house with Jack, Henry, and Penny.

At about 4am Rossi woke up to a moaning sound. As he began to get his bearings, he remembered he was in Emily's room, at the hospital. He quickly sat up, moving his eyes to the brunette in the bed, who was stirring in her sleep.

"Hey sweetheart" Rossi said as he stood up and took her uninjured right hand in his own, "Come on kid, open those eyes"

A few seconds later Emily's eyes slowly fluttered open and brown eyes connected with brown. Rossi couldn't help but smile, "Hey sweetie"

The brunette blinked again as she began to moan, squeezing Rossi's hand, before letting go and motioning towards her throat. He nodded as he reached down and pressed the call button.

"It's okay kid, we'll get the doctor in here and hopefully get that tube removed" he told her as he reached up and brushed a stray piece of hair out of her face.

She stared intently at him, asking a silent question. He nodded slightly before taking a guess at what she was asking, "You stopped breathing on us the other night, so they inserted the tube to help you breathe"

She nodded slightly before closing her eyes again as they waited for the nurse to come in. Once the nurse entered the room and saw the brunette woman was awake, she immediately turned and left to find a doctor. She and a doctor returned some ten minutes later.

"Well Agent Prentiss, you can be assured that you gave all of us, as well as your family here, quite a scare" the doctor told her as he began to do a quick examination of her.

Once he was sure she was okay he briefed her on how he was going to get the tube out of her throat.

"I recommend you hold your friend's hand here" the doctor told her as he nodded towards Rossi, before leaning down and whispering, loud enough for everyone to hear, "Although he has been leading everyone here to believe that he is your father"

The older agent stepped closer and clasped Emily's hand in his own, as she stared up at him with shocked, yet loving eyes. He smiled down at her, "Squeeze as tightly as you want kiddo"

A minute later the tube was removed and Emily's throat was on fire.

"Water" she croaked out hoarsely

The nurse immediately held a cup with a straw in it so that the brunette woman could take a sip. The first couple of sips she coughed uncontrollably until her body was finally able to adjust to taking in water the proper way again.

"Okay so it looks like your body is healing quite nicely Agent Prentiss. However, no talking unless it is absolutely necessary. Your throat is going to be very sore the next few days. And no getting up and going to the bathroom by yourself. Understood?" the doctor informed her

Emily looked at him questioningly before Rossi shook his head and answered for her, "She understands"

The brunette then turned and glared at the older agent, to the best of her ability considering her injuries, causing him to smile. The doctor then began to fill in the brunette woman on all of her injuries as she fought to stay awake, the next round of pain killers already kicking in.

Once the doctor left Rossi bent over and placed a gentle kiss to Emily's forehead. Her eyes flew back open as she stared up at the older man. He saw the brief flash of fear across her face before the Prentiss mask came back up. Before he could say anything she spoke up.

"Boys?" she questioned as she swallowed thickly

"Emily you aren't supposed to be talking" he told her sternly

She glared at him again, "The boys?"

He took a deep breath before smiling, "They are okay-"

Before he could elaborate she was already spitting out her next question, "Jen?"

"Calm down Emily. She is fine also" he told her sincerely

"Promise?" she asked

"First of all Emily, I wouldn't lie to you, especially about this. Second of all, I promise you everyone is okay" he told her sincerely as she continued to struggle to stay awake, "JJ and the boys are okay. All three of them, and-"

Emily's eyes flew open and she again cut Rossi off as she struggled to sit up, regretting it immediately as she froze in bed, her face squished up in pain, her whole body now rigid from the pain she had just caused herself.

Rossi immediately laid a comforting hand on her uninjured arm, "Emily calm down. Easy sweetheart"

She took a couple of deep breaths before beginning to relax. Opening her eyes she looked up at Rossi, "Henry…is okay?" she asked swallowing the pain in her throat

Confusion spread across the older man's features as he stared down at the woman he thought of as a daughter, "Yes. Henry is okay. He's the least injured out of the three of them"

Emily couldn't stop the tears that began to slide down her cheeks. Henry was okay. She smiled slightly as she closed her eyes and bit her bottom lip.

Rossi watched the brunette and he knew there was a lot still left unexplained, "Emily? Are you alright?"

She kept her eyes closed for a moment while she nodded. When she opened them she looked up at her friend, "Can I…see…him?"

"Henry?"

She nodded.

"You can in the morning sweetheart. But it's 430 in the morning right now. Why don't you try to get some rest?" he told her

"Promise? In…morning?" she questioned as he eyes began to close again

"I promise kid. You can see everyone. Maybe even Reid can make his way in here" he told her as he squeezed her hand

"Reid?" she questioned

"Yeah. He's still in the hospital, but should be released fairly soon. And your buddy, Morgan, don't even get me started on him. He's at least at home driving Garcia and Kevin crazy now"

"They're…okay?" she questioned as more tears began to fall

The older man looked at her with concern as he squeezed her hand reassuringly, "Yeah sweetheart. Everyone is okay. I promise. Try to get some rest and you can see for yourself first thing in the morning"

He watched her carefully as she let a few more tears stray down her cheeks before finally succumbing to sleep.

"What did they tell you kiddo? You wouldn't have reacted that way unless you thought they were dead or going to die" he said out loud to himself

He continued to stare at the brunette, noting that most of the swelling from all of the bruises on her face had gone down a considerable amount over the week. Her left eye was no longer swollen enough to keep it closed. However, most of the bruising had now turned to yellow and green discolorations across her face and neck area. The handprint bruises were still there on her neck, just not as prominent as they had been. The teeth marks on the right side of her neck were still there, now also a yellow and greenish color, and abrasions from where Doyle's teeth had pierced the skin, were still rather prominent. Rossi closed his eyes, squeezing Emily's hand a little tighter before letting a couple of tears run down his cheeks.

The older man took a moment to regain himself before stepping out of Emily's room and walking down to JJ's, where he found Hotch asleep in the chair next to the blonde's bed.

"Aaron" Rossi said just loud enough for the team leader to hear

The dark haired man startled and quickly sat up in the chair, "What is it?" he asked sleepily as he looked around, his eyes finally landing on the older man

"Sorry Aaron, didn't mean to startle you" he apologized

Hotch rubbed his eyes before shaking his head and standing up quickly, "It's okay. What is it? Emily?"

Rossi held up his hands, "Slow down Aaron. She's fine. Actually she's awake-"

"Really?" Hotch replied enthusiastically

Rossi tilted his head to the side, "Well she was awake. She's asleep now. The doctors took the tube out and told her not to talk for the next few days, but of course being Emily"

Hotch nodded with a slight smile, "Of course"

The older man nodded, "Yep, she couldn't stop asking questions. And Aaron, there are a lot of questions still left unanswered, and as much as I want the answers, at the same time, I don't"

Hotch nodded, "I know"

The two men stared at one another for a moment before looking over at the sleeping blonde. Rossi sighed before speaking again.

"Emily wants to see Henry as soon as she wakes up in the morning. I have a feeling Doyle told her that he had done something to him, as well as Reid and Morgan, because when I mentioned them specifically she started crying and asked if I was telling the truth"

Hotch raised an eyebrow at the older man, receiving just a nod from the older man.

"And I'm sure she will want to see the other two boys, as well as this blonde beauty as soon as she makes sure Henry is okay…and possibly Morgan and Reid"

"Right. So I should probably go ahead and call Jessica to let her know" Hotch stated

Rossi shrugged, "Well it is almost 5am and I'm sure Henry isn't sleeping well"

Hotch also shrugged before pulling out his phone and stepping out of JJ's room, walking down the hall and exiting the ICU so that he could call his sister in law.

Once he finally had her calmed down and had reassured her that everyone was fine he was able to fill her in on what had transpired and what Emily's wishes were. She assured Hotch she would have all of the kids up there by 7am. He tried to convince her that was too early, but it was a lost cause. Jessica told him there was no more arguing and that she would at least have Henry up there by 7, telling her brother in law she would call Garcia and have her come over and stay with the other two kids until they were awake. They finished their conversation and the team leader made his way back into JJ's room, finding Rossi now sitting in his chair.

The older man turned when he heard his friend's footsteps, "Verdict?"

"Jessica will be here by 7 with Henry"

"Of course she will"

Hotch nodded as Rossi got up and came to stand next to him, "I tried to convince her to wait until later but she refused"

"I'm sure you didn't try too terribly hard"

"No. And to be honest I was hoping she would be forceful about coming up as early as possible, because if I know Emily she's going to wake up as soon as the nurses go in for their 6am check"

Rossi nodded, "I agree"

They stood in silence a moment longer before Rossi walked up to JJ and kissed her lightly on the forehead. Then he turned and made his way back to Emily's room.

Just as Hotch had predicted when the nurses came in to check on Emily, her eyes flew open and it took her a moment to remember where she was. Rossi was by her side in an instant and holding her hand. Once the nurse left Emily looked at the older man.

"Henry?" she questioned

He smiled down at the brunette woman, "He should be here by 7, it's only 615 right now. Why don't you try to sleep some more?"

She shook her head slowly, "Hurts…and no…medicine…til after…I see…H"

"I think you are by far one of the most stubborn women I have ever been blessed in knowing" he told her a bit sarcastically

"Smart…ass" she croaked out

This caused him to smile even wider, "I love you kid. I hope you know that. I was so scared when you were missing-"

Emily squeezed his hand, turning to look him in the eyes, "Love…you…too"

He nodded, keeping his tears from falling, before clearing his throat and looking at her, "Will you at least humor me and pretend to rest until Henry gets here? I promise I will let you know the minute he gets here"

She looked at the older man but just shook her head, causing him to sigh.

"Well then can I at least read to you?" he asked her

She attempted to raise an eyebrow at him, but immediately regretted it, with the pain that slight movement caused.

"Easy there kiddo" Rossi told her as he walked over to the tray table and pulled off a comic book he had carried with him from Ethan's room.

"How about this Batman comic?" he asked her with a smile

She returned the best smile she could muster without causing herself too much pain. The older man nodded as he sat down in the chair beside her bed and began to read to her as they waited for Henry.

Just before 7am Emily opened her eyes when there was a commotion outside of her room. Rossi stood up and walked towards the door. He smiled as he saw a blonde headed boy in a pair of black and grey plaid shorts and a matching black t-shirt with a skateboard on it, and his grey Velcro vans, running down the hallway towards him as Jessica and a few nurses shouted at the seven year old to slow down.

Henry slid to a stop in front of Rossi, slightly out of breath. He looked up at the older man with a questioning look as he flung his long blonde hair out of his face.

"Mama Em?" he questioned

Rossi smiled down at the little boy who looked a little bit nervous before stepping out of the doorway, revealing the room of his brunette mother who was awake and had her bed tilted up to a sitting position.

Henry stood in the doorway nervously as he looked at his mother staring back at him, the sadness evident across her face.

"Mama?" he questioned sadly

"Henry" she said quietly

Emily smiled slightly at him, as she held open her good arm towards him.

"Come here baby boy" she told him hoarsely

He bit his bottom lip before running towards her bed and leaping up on it before anyone could stop him. Rossi, Jessica, and by this time, Hotch, were all standing in the doorway watching the scene unfold in front of them.

They all noticed the pain that crossed Emily's face, but she never once let Henry see it. When he made it up onto the bed he threw his arms around his brunette mother's neck holding on tight. Emily didn't hesitate as she wrapped her one good arm around him, before slowly getting her injured arm moved to wrap around him also, pulling him impossibly closer. All three adults flinched at the pain she must have been feeling as she pulled the seven year old onto her lap, his arms still tight around her neck, tears streaming down both of their faces.

"I love…you so…much…H" she told him as she kissed his cheek several times

"I love you too Mama" he replied, squeezing her tighter

Emily let the tears flow freely down her face as she held her youngest little boy. The little boy that she thought, quite possibly, had been killed by Doyle, or even sold into a child sex ring. Henry also let the tears run down his face as he buried his head into the neck of his mother.

"I missed you Mama" he mumbled into the side of her neck

Emily smiled widely as she tugged him slightly back so that she could look at his face and into his light brown eyes.

Henry cocked his head to the side as he stared into the dark eyes of his mother and saw the tears running down her face.

"Don't cry Mama. I'm okay" he told her before reaching both of his hands forward and wiping the tears gently from her cheeks, causing her to smile again

"I know baby…I just…missed you too…so, so…much" she told him as she cleared her scratchy throat, "And I was…so worried"

"Don't worry anymore Mama. We're all okay" he told her with a smile

They stared into each other's eyes for a moment longer before Henry spoke up, "I love you Mama. I'm glad you're awake"

"Me too…sport…And I love you too…so much" she responded before leaning forward slightly to kiss him on the nose

The blonde boy giggled before leaning forward and pressing a kiss to his mother's lips before wrapping his arms around her neck once more.

"Can I lay with you?" he asked softly

"Of course baby" she answered as she leaned carefully back into the bed, "How about over…on my good side"

Henry released the hold on his mother briefly to move over to her right side. Emily lifted her right arm and he snuggled down into her side, laying on his left side and draping his left arm across her stomach. She then wrapped her right arm around him tightly, turning her head to place one more kiss on the top of his head.

The three adults were still standing in the doorway, when Jessica finally broke the silence, "Well I think I will just leave him here with you guys. I'm going to head back to the house so that Penelope and I can at least tag team"

Hotch nodded at his sister in law as she turned to leave. Then he turned back to Rossi, "JJ is going to kill me when she finds out Emily woke up last night and we didn't wake her up"

"Well then I guess she will be killing both us" the older man replied

Hotch gave a slight nod, "I am going to go see if she's awake yet"

Rossi nodded as Hotch turned to head back down the hall to the blonde woman's room.

Sure enough when Hotch returned to JJ's room, the blonde woman was awake and had her bed tilted up slightly.

"Hey Hotch" she said as he walked into her room

He smiled slightly, "Hey. How are you feeling this morning?"

"Okay, considering. Have you seen the boys yet?"

"Well" he tilted his head to the side as he moved to stand next to the blonde's bed

"Hotch?" she questioned

"I've seen Henry and he seems happy"

JJ gave him a questioning look, "Henry? But it's only 730 in the morning. Is he up here?"

The dark haired man nodded, "Jessica brought him up here first thing. Special request…from your wife"

JJ's face went from questioning to relief, as her mouth slowly opened in surprise, before she smiled slowly, "She's awake?"

Hotch also smiled as he nodded, "Yes and she seems to be doing okay, well besides the pain. But she requested to see Henry first thing. The two of them are in her room snuggled up together in bed. I'm pretty sure they are both out like a light by now"

JJ continued to smile before looking up at Hotch, "Does she know that Reid and Morgan are okay? They told us that-"

"JJ calm down" the dark haired man told her as her heart monitor began to beep loudly, "She knows everyone is okay, although being Emily, I'm sure she won't completely believe it until she can see for herself"

The blonde slowly began to relax as she leaned back into the bed. She was lost in thought for a moment, a smile on her face, before the smile faded and she looked back up at Hotch.

"Do Ethan and Declan know that she's awake?"

The team leader shook his head, "No and honestly I don't think anyone has been in there yet this morning"

She nodded before continuing, "When did she wake up?"

"Ummm…around 4 or so this morning" he answered hesitantly

"WHAT?" the blonde shouted as she leaned forward in the bed, before immediately regretting it and falling back into the bed, grabbing her screaming ribs as she did

"Easy Jayje" he said as he reached for her

She began to control her breathing, taking one last deep breath before opening her eyes and staring at her boss, "She woke up…last night…and you didn't …think about waking me?"

Hotch could hear not only the anger in her voice, but the hurt as well, and he immediately felt bad, "I'm sorry JJ, at the time I thought it was best. She wasn't awake for very long and she was in a lot of pain so they gave her extra pain meds. Plus I didn't want to wake you. You were sleeping so well"

JJ let a few tears escape before she replied, "Hotch…you know I would have wanted to been waken up…no matter what…I would have woken you up if our roles were reversed"

Again the leader regretted the decision he had made last night to let her continue to sleep. He sighed heavily as he reached for her hand, squeezing it lightly, "You're right. I'm sorry JJ. Truly I am. Please forgive me"

JJ looked into her boss' sad eyes and smiled at him, "You know I'm a forgiving person Aaron Hotchner. And I know you have all been playing musical chairs in all of our rooms for the last week and we can never repay you for that. You have no idea how much it means to us…to me-"

Hotch held up his free hand to stop her, "JJ stop. We're family and that's what families do"

The blonde smiled lovingly at him as she nodded and lightly squeezed his hand back, "Well thank you anyway"

Hotch nodded and before he could say anything else JJ spoke up again.

"Will you please find a way for me to go see my wife now" she ordered more so than asked

He smiled and shrugged, "I'll try, but I highly doubt they are going to let you go anywhere in your condition"

"We'll see about that" she replied as she watched him go in search of a nurse

While Hotch was dealing with the nurses and doctors in regards to JJ seeing Emily, Rossi was watching Emily and Henry nap. He decided it was safe enough to go tell the other two boys their mother was awake, and also stop by Reid's room to fill him in on the news.

He was just leaving Emily's room, when he heard someone shout.

"Hey old man, just when the hell were you planning on telling us that Emily was awake?" Morgan shouted as he hobbled down the hallway

"Morgan maybe you should-" Kevin tried to intervene

"Stay out of this" the dark skinned agent shouted to the technical analyst

"Morgan calm down" Rossi told the younger agent as he held his hands up

"I don't want to calm down. You didn't think it was important to let me know that my best friend was finally awake?" he questioned angrily

Rossi tilted his head to the side and shook it lightly, "No not at 4 in the morning I didn't. What could you possibly have done at that hour? I was going to call you first thing this morning. That's actually what I was going to do on my way to tell the boys and Reid"

Morgan swallowed and took a deep breath and closed his eyes, feeling the pain in his shoulder and chest intensify after his little rant.

He slowly opened his eyes and stared at the older man who he knew loved Emily very much.

"I'm sorry Rossi. I just…I don't really have an excuse" he confessed as he hung his head, disappointed in himself

"Hey kid" Rossi said stepping up to Morgan

The younger man raised his head to look at the older man.

"It's okay. I get it. I do. We are all on edge and we were all worried. And we all love her. We love that whole family and it's been a rough couple of weeks. But more importantly I get it. You were worried about your best friend. I can't fault you for that, okay."

Morgan nodded as he listened to the older man.

"Just don't forget, you aren't the only one who loves her, okay. We all love her…very much" he reminded the younger man

Morgan nodded again, "I know Rossi"

The older man nodded before speaking again.

"Well now that you are here, I'm sure you want to see for yourself that she is okay"

"Hell yeah" he answered

Rossi smiled as he motioned for Morgan to follow him, "Just be quiet, she and Henry fell asleep not too long ago"

Morgan nodded in understanding as he stopped just inside Emily's room. His heart immediately broke as he saw his best friend lying in the bed, Henry snuggled into her right side, his little arm draped over her stomach, and her arm wrapped protectively around him. He fought back the tears, swallowing the lump in his throat.

Rossi placed a comforting hand on his uninjured shoulder, "She's okay Derek"

All he could do was nod, afraid if he said anything he would break down.

"Why don't you sit here with them for awhile. I'm going to go let Reid and the boys know the good news"

Again Morgan just nodded.

Once Rossi left the room, Kevin followed after him, leaving Morgan alone with Emily and Henry. He finally got up the courage to step inside the room, moving as quietly as possible towards the bed. He stood next to his best friend's bed and watched as she and Henry seemed to be sleeping peacefully. He smiled as he looked at both of them, before a few tears escaped and ran down his cheek. He bit his bottom lip as he moved to sit down. But before he did he heard a slight mumble. He turned back towards the bed and saw Emily's lips moving. Morgan reached out and placed his right hand on Emily comfortingly.

"Dave?" she questioned groggily before opening her eyes

"No princess, it's just me" he said as he cleared his throat, trying to sound strong

"Derek?"

"Yeah baby, it's me" he answered giving her a smile

As her eyes finally connected to his, he saw the relief cross her bruised and battered face, before she finally smiled to her best ability.

"Hey hot stuff" she said continuing to smile

"Hey there yourself beautiful"

"Psshhh, I don't know what Emily you are looking at, but I can assure you I am anything but beautiful right now" she replied

He glared at her and was about to speak but she spoke up again before he could.

"So…Morgan…How was your week?"

He let out a light smile and chuckle, before turning serious again.

"Emily" he said, waiting for her to look at him. When she finally did his eyes were full of tears again, "I want you to listen to me. You are beautiful. Do you hear me?"

"Derek I'm pretty sure I'm not right now" she said slightly annoyed

"No. Emily. You are. You are so unbelievably beautiful right now. Do you want to know why? Because you are laying there, holding your son, and I can see how much you love him. It's written all over you. You have to be in an ungodly amount of pain right now, but you are still holding onto him and letting him hold onto you as if you both might never see each other again. And you are so beautiful right now because you are awake and talking to me. You're alive. I'm getting to look into the beautiful, dark, mysterious eyes of my best friend. My best friend who I was afraid I might never get to have a conversation with again, joke with again...hug again" he said, the tears now freely falling down his cheeks

Emily carefully removed her arm from around Henry and moved her hand towards her best friend's, the tears falling down her face as well. Morgan took her hand in his and held it tightly and she reciprocated.

"I'm sorry Emily" he said as the tears continued to fall

Now she was confused.

"Sorry for what Derek? None of this was your fault. I should be apologizing to you. It's my fault you got hurt"

Morgan just shook his head, "But I should have been there to help find you. Maybe if-"

"Stop" she told him sternly

They both looked at each other before she spoke again, "Don't apologize for things you have no control over. None of this was your fault and there was _nothing_ you could have done. Do you hear me?"

It took a moment before he nodded, "I just"

"I know Derek" she replied squeezing his hand again

Morgan looked up at his friend with tear filled eyes, "I was scared Emily. I…I don't think I've ever been that scared…I love you so much Em"

The brunette let a few more tears fall from her own eyes before responding, "I love you too Derek Morgan"

They smiled at each other before he stood up and kissed her gently on the forehead. He continued to hold her hand as he carefully sat back down.

"How badly were you hurt?" she finally asked

"Just shot in the chest, but I'm going to be fine" he reassured her

"Your arm's in a sling"

He nodded, "Yeah they want me to keep this side immobile so that I don't pop any stitches"

This time she nodded. They sat in comfortable silence for awhile before Emily finally asked the burning questions.

"How bad are my other two boys?"

"Ethan's got a pretty nasty head injury. But he's been awake and talking, so he should be fine. Declan's worst injury was his shoulder"

"He was shot protecting me Derek" Emily confessed sadly, "No kid should have to take a bullet for their mother"

He squeezed her hand again gently, "Hey, he doesn't regret it, believe me. And I'm pretty sure if he had to do it over again, he wouldn't do anything different"

"I know, that's what bothers me"

"Doesn't surprise me. You would be the same way. Can't imagine where he gets it from"

"How bad is his shoulder? Will he still be able to play sports?"

Morgan nodded, "He has a long road ahead, but the doctor is confident that since he's young and healthy that he should recovery well. And I already promised him that we could do our therapy together"

Emily smiled at her friend, "Thanks Derek"

"Always princess"

"Jen?"

"She's got some broken ribs, cuts and bruises, and another nasty head injury, but she's been doing well since she woke up and the doctors think she's going to make a nice recovery. "

"Her gunshot wound?"

"Is healing nicely. It was the last thing the doctors were worried about"

Emily nodded as she closed her eyes.

"Why don't you sleep princess"

"I'm not tired" she mumbled as she began to succumb to sleep once again

Morgan smiled at his friend, as he scooted his chair closer to her bed, never letting go of her hand. He kept holding it as he began to drift off to sleep as well.

When Rossi came back to Emily's room some 30 minutes later he couldn't help but smile as he walked into the room. Morgan was slumped down uncomfortably in the chair beside Emily's bed, asleep, his hand holding Emily's. And the brunette was asleep, her hand holding Morgan's, with Henry still asleep snuggled into her side.

He had told both boys, who wanted to come see for themselves as soon as the nurses would let them. Reid had also said he had had enough of the bed rest and he wanted to come see everyone for himself. Rossi had cleared both boys coming down to Emily's room as soon as they had eaten breakfast and taken their meds. As for Reid, it was up to the doctor's discretion once he arrived at work for the day.

The older man walked further into the room and as he got closer he saw Henry start to stir. The little boy began to mumble and moan in his sleep. Rossi hurried to his side, knowing he was going to start swinging in his sleep soon. He got to his side and began to wake the boy, before he could do any damage.

"Henry, wake up buddy, it's Grandpa Dave" he said in a soothing tone to the little blonde

Henry's eyes flew open as he nearly rolled off the bed as he tried to take in his surroundings. Rossi scooped him up before he could fall.

"It's okay kid. I got you. You're alright" he reassured the seven year old

Henry wrapped his arms around the older man, hugging him tight. Then he turned in Rossi's arms to look back at the bed.

"It wasn't a dream" Henry stated

"No kid, it wasn't"

"Mama's gonna be okay" he said with a hint of a smile

Rossi smiled at the boy who looked so much like his blonde mother, "Yes she's going to be okay"

"Uncle D is here" the boy finally pointed out

"He sure is. He wanted to see that your mom was okay too. But since they are both sleeping, why don't we go see your other mommy?"

Henry looked at his brunette mother and then at his dark skinned uncle, waging a war in his head. Rossi could see the child wasn't sure about leaving his mama so he spoke up again.

"Don't worry Henry. Uncle Derek won't let anything happen to your mama. He will be here with her for awhile. And I will come right back in here after I take you to see your other mommy. And I'm pretty sure she would love a good morning hug and kiss from her little man"

Henry smiled and nodded so Rossi turned to leave but the seven year old squirmed in his arms until the older man put him down. Then the little blonde ran back over to his brunette mother and careful lifted himself onto the bed to plant a soft kiss on her cheek.

"I'll be back mama. Love you" he told her quietly

Rossi smiled as the turned and came back towards him, taking the older man's hand in his own as the left Emily's room and headed for JJ's.

While Rossi was down the hall with JJ, Hotch, and Henry, Emily woke up from her nap and saw Derek still asleep in the chair beside her bed, their hands linked together. She smiled sweetly at her best friend, glad he was okay. As she became more aware of her surroundings she noticed Henry wasn't asleep next to her. The brunette immediately dropped Derek's hand as she began to scan the room.

"Henry?" she questioned out loud

Morgan woke up to the sound of Emily's frightened voice. He jerked up in his chair as he blinked his eyes, "Emily?"

By this time Emily's heart monitor was beeping like crazy. The brunette struggled to sit up and look around the room as she continued to search the room for the blonde boy, hoping and praying, she hadn't dreamt him up.

As she moved too quickly she felt pain throughout her entire body and immediately fell back onto the bed, that movement causing her pain also.

"Son of a bitch" she said through gritted teeth

"Emily calm down" Morgan said as he stood next to her bed, "What's wrong?"

"Henry…Where is he?" she questioned as tears started to fall from her eyes again, "Please tell me he's alright…that I didn't dream him up?"

"Calm down baby. He's fine. " Morgan tried to reassure her

Nurses came rushing into the room at that time as they pushed him aside to get to Emily.

"Morgan, please" she begged him through gritted teeth as she tried to ignore the pain

"What did you do to her?" one of the nurses asked Morgan

"Nothing. She woke up and her son was gone" he answered as he tried to explain

Rossi heard the commotion down the hall and immediately left JJ's room, running down the hall, followed closely by Hotch as they entered Emily's room.

"What's wrong?" Rossi asked

"What happened?" Hotch asked at the same time

"Where's Henry?" Morgan asked as he turned towards the two men

"He's with JJ" the older man answered, "He was having a nightmare so I woke him up. I was afraid he would hurt Emily while he was dreaming. Then when he was awake I suggested we go see JJ"

"Damn it Rossi" Morgan practically shouted

"What happened Morgan?" asked Hotch as he looked away from the nurses working on Emily and connected eyes with the dark skinned man

"She woke up and Henry wasn't here. She just freaked out" he told them

One of the nurses finally ushered all three men out of the room.

"Look she needs as much rest as possible and the least amount of stress possible. She just worked herself into a frenzy and popped a lot of her stitches. We've given her a big dose of pain pills to knock her out. I suggest if you can fix this before she is completely out that would be best" she told all of them in a serious tone

"I'm sorry. I didn't even think about her waking up and Henry not being there" Rossi apologized as he looked over Morgan towards the bed where the nurses were restitching the site Emily had pulled loose.

"I'll go get Henry so that Emily can see he is okay" Hotch said as he turned and headed down the hall

As he entered JJ's room, both blondes looked at him with almost identical terrified faces.

"Hotch?" JJ questioned

"She's okay. She just had a panic attack. She woke up and someone wasn't there. She will be fine. I'm just going to take him down there so that she can see he really is okay."

JJ nodded as she looked from Hotch to Henry. Then Hotch stepped up to the bed and looked at the little boy.

"Hey little man, will you come with me to see Emily for a minute? She just wants to make sure you are okay. Then she's going to go back to sleep for awhile"

Henry nodded, "Okay"

Before Hotch was going to take him JJ took Henry's hand, "Hey, H, will you do me a favor?"

The little boy nodded.

"Will you give Mama Em a kiss on the cheek for me?" she asked him

He nodded enthusiastically before leaning forward and kissing his blonde mother on the cheek.

Then the seven year old climbed off his mother's bed and followed Hotch down the hall to his other mother's room. As he entered the room Henry walked in behind him. Rossi and Morgan were standing off to the side as the last nurse finished up. When she was done, she glared at the three men before leaving the room.

Emily saw her friends standing there and she could also feel the pain meds beginning to work. As she looked at Hotch she saw Henry step out from behind him. Relief immediately spread across her face.

"H, you're okay" she stated as she looked at the blonde boy

"Ya mama" he answered as he walked up to her bed

He pulled the chair close to her bed before standing up on it and leaning his hands on her bed.

"I'm sorry if you got scared coz I wasn't here" he apologized

"Henry you don't have anything to apologize for. I just wanted to make sure I hadn't been dreaming" she told him as she covered his little hand with her own.

As she covered his hand she finally noticed the light bruising around his wrists from where he had been restrained and her heart began to break all over again.

"Don't be sad mama. I'm okay." He told her with a smile

She looked back up, into his light brown eyes and couldn't help but smile, "I love you sport"

"I love you too" he told her seriously

She nodded as she began to close her eyes.

"Get some sleep mama" he told her as he leaned forward and kissed her cheek, "That's from me and mommy"

She opened her eyes back up and smiled at the loving seven year old, "Thanks H"

The little boy, thinking she was asleep, stepped back down from the chair and walked back over to Hotch.

"I want to go see mommy again"

The brunette man nodded as he took the seven year old's hand and led him back down the hall to JJ's room.

Meanwhile Rossi and Morgan stood next to each other as they looked at their friend and colleague. Not a minute later Emily opened her eyes and looked at both men.

"I don't want him coming to see me anymore" she told them in a tired voice

"Emily-" Rossi began as both men stepped closer to her bed

"No Dave. I'm serious. He's too young to be in here anyways. I think it would be better if he stayed away. Besides I'll be released in no time"

"Em-"

"No. Derek. I'm not changing my mind" she said forcefully

Both men looked at each other, but remained silent.

"Now will someone please let me see for myself that my other two boys, my wife, and Reid are all okay?" she questioned in a forceful tone

Rossi bowed out of the room, in search of the boys, while Morgan remained in his friend's room.

"Emily I don't think they are going to let Reid or JJ leave their rooms. And they are most certainly not going to let you go anywhere"

"Well someone better figure out a way for me to see for myself that they are both okay. I just want to talk to them" she told her friend

He nodded, "I know Em"

As Morgan thought about it he got an idea. He pulled out his phone and told Emily he would be back in a minute. He walked out of ICU and called Garcia, filling her in on his request. When he returned to Emily's room fifteen minutes later she had her eyes closed and he thought she might be asleep.

"I'm awake Derek" she said as she opened her eyes to look at her friend

"How did you know it was me?" he asked with a smile

She just looked at him and he nodded his head, "Okay then. Well do you want to talk about what happened earlier?"

"No" she answered sharply

"Emily"

"I said no Morgan, so just drop it" she told him angrily, feeling her body fighting to stay awake

Before he could say anything else, Hotch came through the doorway pushing Ethan in a wheelchair.

"MAMA" Ethan said in a loud, excited voice, immediately regretting it afterwards as he held his side in pain

"Ethan" Emily said with a sad smile as she looked at her eleven year old son, his head wrapped in bandages, along with some bruising around his chin and cheek that was slowly fading away. She could also see two marks across his jaw and neck, which she denoted came from a tazer.

The brunette woman grabbed the remote to her bed and tilted herself up to a point that she could just feel pain. Hotch pushed the young boy's chair up next to his mother's bed.

"Why are you in a wheelchair?" she asked before looking up at Hotch, "Why is he in a wheelchair?"

"I'm okay mama" Ethan told her

"He's okay. It's just hospital protocol, especially with a head injury" Hotch reassured her

"Yeah see, look mom" Ethan said as he moved his feet slightly

Relief flooded Emily's features again as she saw for herself that her son could move his legs. Hotch then bent down and lifted Ethan out of the wheelchair, placing him on the bed next to his mother.

Ethan carefully leaned towards his mother and wrapped his arms gently around her neck, rolling to his left side as he did. Emily sighed as she wrapped her right arm around him pulling him against her, biting back the pain as she did. She felt him squeeze her neck tighter and bury his face in the crook of her neck as she held him tighter.

"I love you E" she told him as she rubbed her hand up and down his back

"I love you too mama" he said as he mumbled into her neck

She smiled as she held him close, "I'm so glad you're okay. You are okay, right, handsome?"

She pulled him away from her at that moment to look into matching eyes. As he leaned back he looked into his mothers eyes and could see her fear, which is not something he was used to.

"I'm fine mama. Promise" he told her

She tilted her head to the side to look at him, "How many stitches do you have?"

He bit his bottom lip nervously as he looked away from her. Emily took her right hand and tilted his chin up so that he had to look her in the eyes, "E?"

"Eighteen staples in my head" he answered

He watched as his mother gasped and her face showed nothing but sadness.

"But I'm gonna have some pretty cool scars" he told her with a smile

"You have more than just those staples, don't you?" she asked

He nodded as he slowly lifted up his pajama top (Garcia had brought him and Declan some actual pajamas to wear soon after they were moved out of ICU) revealing the stitches across his lower chest and ribs.

"Twelve stitches here" he told her

Emily tried to control her emotions as her good hand moved to her son's chest. She held back the tears as she traced a gentle hand beside the three inch line of stitches that started just below his left pec area and went down across the top part of his rib cage, where she also noticed some faded bruising.

"What happened?" she asked, hearing her own voice crack and cursing herself when she noticed it

"They said my spleen was damaged so they had to go in and surgically repair it" he told her, "It's okay though. I promise"

She nodded as she let a couple of tears fall. The eleven year old noticed and reached his left hand up to gently wipe away a tear.

"I'm okay mama. We all are. Promise. I'm just glad you're awake" he told her with a smile before leaning forward and kissing her gently on the lips. Then he wrapped his arms around her neck again and hugged her tight.

Emily wrapped her good arm around her son again and squeezed tightly, but not tight enough to hurt him. She felt him shift, as he laid on his side, moving his hands from around her neck. He kept his face buried in her neck, thankful to be back in the safety of his mother's arms. He reached his left hand slightly behind him to lace his fingers with his mothers.

Hotch and Morgan stood in the doorway watching mother and son. Morgan looked from his friend and her son, over to Hotch.

"She's not okay Hotch" Morgan told his boss sadly

The dark haired man nodded, "I know Morgan. But for now, let's just get them healed enough to get them out of the hospital. I've interacted with all of them now, and none of them are okay"

Morgan nodded as he looked away from his boss and back over to his friend.

About thirty minutes later a nurse came into Emily's room, scolding the two men who were standing there. Ranting about how bad it was for not only Emily, but Ethan, that they were snuggled up in bed with all of their injuries. Hotch and Morgan both looked at one another, this nurse had no idea what this family had been through the last week and a half.

Hotch finally assured the nurse he would get Ethan back to his room promptly. Once she had left the room, Hotch approached the bed carefully.

"Ethan" he said quietly

When the boy didn't stir, he said Emily's name, "Emily"

He said both of their names one more time and Emily jerked awake, her eyes wide.

"What? What is it?" she questioned in a frightened tone

"Nothing. It's okay" Hotch reassured her, "I just need to take Ethan back to his room to rest. The nurses aren't very happy about him being in here"

"Oh" she said sadly as she turned her head towards her sleeping son, snuggled into her side

"Don't worry, he can come back and see you again later" the leader assured her

Emily shook her head slowly, "No, he needs to get better. And he doesn't need to be in the ICU"

"Emily"

"Hotch. Please. Just take him back to his room" she told her boss

"Okay" the leader said, giving in sadly

"Ethan, wake up buddy" he said as he shook the eleven year old lightly

"NOOO" Ethan shouted as he jerked away from Hotch's touch, "Don't touch me" he shouted again, his eyes still closed

"Ethan, baby, it's okay. Open your eyes" Emily told him soothingly

He struggled a moment longer before his eyes opened and he took in his surroundings. His eyes finally landed on his mothers and he sighed.

"Sorry" he apologized

"Hey you have to nothing to apologize for little man. Do you hear me?" she said to him

"Yeah it's my fault buddy. I was just trying to wake you up and I startled you" Hotch confessed as he finally stepped closer to the bed again

Ethan turned towards Hotch and could see the worry etched across the man's face, "I'm sorry Uncle Aaron"

"It's okay bud. Like your mom said, you don't have anything to apologize for" he also told the eleven year old

The brunette boy nodded slowly as he looked down at the covers on the bed.

Hotch looked at the boy again and his heart broke, this was his son's best friend. His colleague and friend's son who was so broken and fragile. The normally upbeat and carefree kid without a worry in the world. The team leader shook his head before speaking again.

"Ethan I need to take you back to your room to rest for awhile, okay? The nurses weren't too happy with you being in here" he told the boy

"But I don't want to go" he replied

"I know. But your mom is going to go back to sleep soon anyways. And Declan still needs the chance to come see her"

Ethan clenched his jaw at the mention of his brother, but kept his opinion to himself.

"Fine" he said, obviously annoyed

"I love you little prince" Emily said to her son as he slowly leaned forward

"I love you too mama" he told her, before leaning towards her and planting a kiss on her cheek

Hotch then lifted the boy up and put him back in his chair before taking him back to his room.

Morgan didn't even attempt to start a conversation with Emily this time. Instead he stood by the doorway watching his friend carefully. About twenty minutes later Hotch came back through the door pushing Declan in a wheelchair.

"Mom?" the blonde teenager questioned, seeing that his brunette mother's eyes were closed

At hearing the sound of that voice, Emily's eyes opened and she turned her head towards the doorway. She smiled when she saw her blonde teenage son in a wheelchair, his right arm in a sling. As she looked more closely at him, she could see the sadness in his normally bright blue eyes.

"Declan" she said with a warm smile

He smiled back as Hotch pushed him up next to the bed. The teenager immediately stood up out of the chair and reached for his mother's uninjured hand with his left hand, grasping hers tightly. Then he bent forward and kissed her on the cheek, allowing her a moment to do the same to him. As he pulled back he looked at the bed before looking back at her. She smiled as she released his hand for a moment and patted the bed.

"Sit down" she told him

"Are you sure? I don't want to hurt you" he said in a worried tone

"You won't" she assured him as she patted the bed again

He nodded as he carefully sat down on the bed so that he could face her.

"I love you Dec" she told him sincerely as she locked her brown eyes onto his blue

"I love you too mom" he replied, "I'm so sorry-"

She held up her right hand, stopping him, "Don't…Don't apologize for something that's not your fault"

"But-"

"But nothing" she told him as she shook her head, "NONE of this is YOUR fault. Do you hear me?"

Declan broke eye contact with Emily at that point as he looked away, concentrating on a spot on the floor.

"Declan" she said as she reached her hand forward and ran her fingers through his thick, curly blonde hair

He finally turned back towards her, tears in his eyes, and her heart broke.

"Listen to me Declan" she told him as she grabbed his hand and held it tight, "No matter what you might think, trust me, when I say, that none of this…Nothing that happened is your fault. And there is nothing you could have done"

He just looked at her as a few tears escaped, running down his face. She released his hand to reach up and brush the tears away.

"And I should be apologizing to you. You never should have gotten shot because of me" she told the sixteen year old as she brushed her thumb across his cheek

Declan reached up and took her hand in his again, squeezing it tightly, before saying, "Mom if I had to go back and do it over again, I would still take that bullet for you. I love you. I am who I am _because_ of you. I don't regret it, okay."

"But a kid should never have to do that. A parent is supposed to protect the kid" she told him sadly

"You did protect us" he reassured her, "I guess I'm just lucky I got to repay you" he said with a smile

Emily forced a smile onto her face, but inside she was breaking. Her family, everyone in the world that she cared about, had been injured because of her past. Her best friends, who were also her family, were injured and had nearly been killed, because of her.

"Mom?" Declan questioned as he squeezed her hand again, noticing she had zoned out

"Sorry D, just tired. Pain meds are really kicking my butt" she told him with a slight smile

He returned the smile, "Tell me about it"

"Is it just your shoulder that's hurt?" she asked him, studying his response

"My wrist is broken…and a couple of fingers" he admitted as he let go of her hand to move his sling just enough so that she could see the brace his right wrist was in, "But at least it's all the same hand"

Emily nodded before reaching up and tracing just under the teenager's right eye, studying the fading bruising around it and his cheek. Then she stared at the left side of his face where you could just barely make out the fading bruising in the shape of a footprint.

"Oh Dec" she said sadly as she dropped her hand

The teenager immediately grabbed her hand again and squeezed it, "I'm okay mom. I promise. And my bruises are nothing compared to you and moms"

Emily looked up at the teenager at the mention of JJ, "You've seen JJ?"

He nodded, "Yeah and she's doing okay. I promise"

Emily nodded with a slight smile as she began to close her eyes, the pain meds really beginning to get to her. Declan smiled sadly at his brunette mother before giving her hand one last squeeze.

"I love you mama" he whispered as he leaned forward, "I'll let you rest"

He kissed her on the cheek and she opened her eyes enough to squeeze his hand back, "Love you too handsome"

He smiled at her reply before he watched her eyes close again. Then he got off of the bed and sat back down in the wheelchair allowing Hotch to take him back to his room for his own nap.

Later in the day Garcia showed up with Jack and Penny in tow and a special surprise for Emily, Reid, and JJ. Rossi agreed to sit in the waiting room with Jack while Hotch and Garcia took Penny back to see Emily and JJ. Meanwhile Kevin made his way to Reid's room with one of the special gifts.

Hotch held the blonde toddler in his arms as Garcia burst into Emily's hospital room, "Oh my brunette beauty. I'm so glad you're okay. I was so freakin scared"

Emily smiled at her exuberant friend who was immediately by her side, squeezing her hand tightly before pressing a kiss to the brunette's cheek, "I missed you so much. Don't you _ever_ do that to me again. If you weren't so bruised I would hit you. I love you so much"

"I love you too Garcia" Emily told her sincerely, squeezing the blonde's hand in return

"MAMA" Penny exclaimed happily as she clapped her hands, while being held by Hotch

Emily smiled as she turned her attention to the toddler, "Hi baby girl"

"Hi mama" she said with a wave before holding both her hands out towards her brunette mother

Hotch moved forward and carefully passed the toddler to Garcia who was now sitting on the edge of Emily's bed. However, Emily and Penny weren't in agreement with her being stuck in the blonde analysts lap. Before the little girl was even fully situated in Garcia's lap she flung herself forward at the same time as Emily reached forward with her right arm.

The toddler cooed and giggled as she lay against her mother's chest. Emily let a couple of tears fall as she held her daughter close with her good arm, bending her head to place a kiss to the top of the silky blonde hair.

"I love you sweet girl" Emily told the little girl who was lying against her chest

"Hi Mama" the toddler replied

After about a minute the little girl was suddenly bored and pushed off of Emily attempting to bounce on the brunettes lap. Emily's face immediately contorted into pain and Garcia grabbed the toddler quickly, lifting the little girl into her arms.

"Oh sweetie, you can't do that, mama is hurt" Garcia told the little blonde, even though she knew the little girl didn't fully comprehend what she was saying

Emily was biting back the pain, her eyes shut as she struggled to even out her breathing.

"Prentiss do you want me to get a nurse so you can have some more pain meds?" Hotch asked, now standing next to her bed

The brunette slowly shook her head no. Taking a deep breath she slowly opened her eyes back up looking at her two friends who had worried looks on their faces.

"I'm okay" she told them

Neither one was buying it, but they chose to ignore it and move on to the next subject.

"I talked to the nurses and doctors" Hotch said, looking at the woman lying in the hospital bed, "None of them want you, Reid, or JJ moving around right now-"

"But Ho-"

"Let me finish" he said cutting her off

She opened her mouth to say something again when Garcia spoke up, "Just listen to him miss stubborn pants"

Both brunettes turned their attention at the analyst for her choice of words. She shrugged her shoulders as she held onto Penny, "What? She is stubborn"

Hotch merely returned the shrug with one of his own and added a slight nod to it and Emily didn't disagree.

"As I was saying" Hotch said, speaking up again, "Garcia came up with an idea for you to see for yourself that Reid and JJ are alright. And they can see that you are alright"

With that the analyst passed Penny to Hotch, who smiled as he took the little girl into his arms. Garcia then stood up off of the bed and dug around in her purse, pulling out an ipad. She turned it on before moving and sitting next to Emily carefully. Then she pulled up the video chat and found Reid and JJ already waiting.

"I know it's not the same thing sugar, but it's the best we could do with what we have" Garcia said as she turned to look at Emily

The brunette turned to look at her friend and smiled slightly, "Thanks Pen"

The analyst nodded with a smile before pressing the button and allowing the videos to come up, with their other friends on them.

"Jen? Reid?" Emily said to the screen

JJ and Reid both looked directly at the brunette through the ipad. JJ smiled and spoke up first,

"Emily? Baby, are you okay?" she asked, tears in her eyes

Emily could only nod as she squeaked out a "Yes"

"Really? Cause you don't look so good Emily" Reid said as he looked through the screen

Emily smiled as JJ scolded him through the video chat.

"I'm okay handsome. Or I will be. And I'm already better, now that I have seen for myself that you both are okay. You are both okay, right?" she asked

She watched as her wife and friend both nodded.

"I wish I could see you in person Em" JJ confessed

"I know. Me too. But this is better than nothing" the brunette responded

JJ nodded as a few tears finally fell down her face.

Emily let a stray tear escape her eyes as well, "I wish I could wrap my arms around you and tell you everything was going to be okay"

JJ nodded, "Me too baby"

"I would say I want someone to wrap their arms around me too, but I'm not really a hugger" Reid said, trying to break the tension

Emily and JJ both cracked a smile and a bit of giggle, before it caused both too much pain.

"Oh Spence, you know we have basically broken you of your fear of hugs" JJ said

"Actually, Haphephobia_, the fear of-" Reid began_

_"Being touched. Also known as _aphephobia, thixophobia, or-" Emily joined in

"Okay. Well obviously the minds of our nerds are still entirely intact" Garcia said, effectively cutting off both Emily and Reid

"But just so you know, Emily, I'm really glad you're back with us. I mean, we were happy when Reid woke up and started spouting statistics, but there was really no one for him to compete with. At least now you guys can talk nerd to each other" Hotch said joining the conversation

Emily and Reid smiled at each other, while JJ just rolled her eyes at the antics of her team and her family.

Soon all three agent's were starting to feel their pain meds kick in for the afternoon. They said their goodbyes over the video before everyone signed off.

"Okay little one say bye bye to mama so she can sleep" Garcia told Penny, who was still in Hotch's arms

"Mama" she repeated with a wave, "Bye"

Emily smiled, "Bye baby girl"

Hotch leaned down with the toddler, "You want to give your mama a kiss"

Penny clapped her hands before puckering her lips and leaning towards her brunette mother. Emily smiled as she leaned forward slightly, kissing her daughter on the lips.

"I love you munchkin" she told the girl before Hotch handed her off to Garcia and the two blondes left the room

"Emily I hate to ask this, but Jack doesn't believe me. Would be alright-"

"Bring him in Hotch. But just for a minute" she told him

The leader nodded before turning and leaving the room in search of his son. He returned a few minutes later with the nearly eleven year old beside him.

"Aunt Em" the caramel haired boy said excitedly as he ran up next to the bed

"Hey JT. You helping take care of that wild toddler?" Emily asked the boy with a smile

He nodded as he stared sadly at her, "I'm sorry you're hurt"

"Hey kiddo, I'm going to be alright. We all are" she reassured him as she reached for his hand

Jack took it willingly as he squeezed the brunette hand in return.

"I love you Jack. You know that right?" she said sincerely

He nodded as his brown eyes met her even darker ones, "I love you too Emily"

She nodded with a smile before giving him a slight tug, "Then come give me a kiss before I fall asleep again"

He smiled as he moved forward and carefully stood on his toes to place a soft kiss on her cheek, to which she fully returned.

"Alright Jack, time to go. Emily needs to rest" Hotch told his son from the doorway

"Okay" he answered

"I'll see ya later Aunt Em" he told her as he turned away

"Sure thing cutie"

Jack giggled at Emily's response, before turning and giving her one last wave, "I'm glad you're okay"

"Thanks buddy…Will you do me a favor and keep an eye on Ethan when he gets out of here. I'm sure he's going to get to go home before me" she asked, knowing how close the two boys were

She was worried about her eleven year old, mostly because he could hide his emotions fairly well, especially to ease other people's concern.

"Always" he replied with a smile as he followed his dad out of her room

She laid back against the bed, smiling at Jack's answer. The two boys liked to repeat things, and interactions, they saw between her and Morgan, and it always entertained the two adult agents. Soon they picked up on the phrase that she and Morgan shared, in sticky situations, or just to let the other know they were there. So when Jack answered, 'Always', she knew he meant it. Just like when Morgan said it to her and vice versa.

The next day Declan and Ethan both had their stitches and staples removed before being released from the hospital. Rossi told both boys that they would be moving to his place for awhile as well until everyone was back on their feet again. Jessica and Garcia packed up some clothes for the two boys, along with some clothes for Henry and Penny, deciding to move everyone over to the Rossi mansion. JJ was told she could probably discharge from the hospital within the next couple of days, but Reid and Emily needed to stay a bit longer to be monitored for safety reasons.

When Ethan and Declan arrived at Rossi's house, the older man took in both of their appearances. Declan still had his arm in a sling and it would most likely stay that way for another week or so just to be safe. Ethan now just had one long bandage across his head where his stitches had been, just to keep it protected for a little while longer. But it was at this time that Rossi noticed that the nurses or doctor must have cut some of his hair to get to the entire wound. Part of his bangs and the side of his head were cut at an odd angle. Rossi ushered the two boys inside, followed by Hotch. The older man then lead them up the stairs, turning to the left and entering the first bedroom on the right.

"This will be you guys' room for now and Henry will probably be in here also. I know you probably don't really want to share a room with each other, but I thought you could use the support from one another"

"Do we have to share a room?" Ethan asked as he looked up at the older man

Rossi stared down at the eleven year old before looking at Declan, knowing there was something going on between the two, but thinking it would be best if they shared a room.

"Yes. You do" he answered, "I had these three twin beds put in here so that I could put you three boys in here. I will be at the other end of the hall and Morgan will be right across from you guys"

"Where's Penny going to be?" Declan asked as he sat down on one of the beds

"I'm putting her in the room closest to mine"

"What about our moms?" Ethan asked as he continued to stand next to the older man

"They are going to be downstairs with Reid once they are all released from the hospital, because none of them are going to be able to go up and down stairs for awhile. Well JJ might be able to get up here, we will see."

The small brunette nodded before looking at the setup of the beds. Declan had taken the bed against the wall right next to the door which left the other two beds positioned against the far wall under the window.

"Garcia should be here in a little while with some clothes for you and Declan and then we are all going to sit down and have a decent dinner, Italian style" he told the two boys

Morgan walked into the bedroom at that time and smiled, "Hey guys, I'm so glad you are here. I'm about to go bored out of my mind"

Both boys smiled slightly and Morgan's smile faded, "Hey I know it's not the Jareau-Prentiss household but it ain't that bad and the rooms are huge"

"Yeah. It's pretty great. Thanks for taking care of us Uncle Dave" Declan said as he looked at the older man

"It's no problem kid. That's what families do for each other. Now I'll let the two of you get settled, but I'll be downstairs if you need anything" he told them before leaving the room

Morgan continued to stand in the bedroom with the two boys before saying, "Well you guys lucked out. You have the bathroom right here" he said walking through the room to a closed door

The dark skinned agent opened the door revealing a large bathroom with another door on the other side, which he opened, revealing another bedroom. The two boys had followed him and were now standing in the other bedroom, which held what appeared to be a queen size bed.

"Do you think Jack will get to come later?" Ethan said as the three of them turned to go back into their bedroom

"I'm sure that he will be here for dinner tonight E" Morgan said as he gripped the eleven year old's shoulder slightly

The brunette nodded before sitting down on one of the beds under the window. Morgan sighed and was just about to walk out of the bedroom when there was a commotion down stairs. Ethan and Declan both smiled slightly recognizing the voices. They made their way out of the bedroom and down the stairs.

"Ethan! Declan!" Henry shouted as he ran towards his brothers, wrapping his arms around his blonde brother's waist first, before pulling away and reaching for Ethan.

"Guess what H. We get to share a room with Dec until we are all better" the brunette boy told his little brother trying to sound enthusiastic

"Really? Cool!" the seven year old exclaimed excitedly

A few seconds later Jessica walked through the open front door with Penny in her arms, Jack running behind her, and Garcia following behind him.

"Jack!" Ethan shouted excitedly

"Hey Ethan" the caramel boy shouted back in a voice just as excited, as he practically pushed his Aunt out of the way to get to his friend

All of the adults were standing around watching as the two boys flung their arms around each other.

"I missed you E, I'm glad you're okay" Jack told the brunette

"Me too" Ethan replied as he hugged his friend slightly tighter

As they released each other Penny had spotted her brothers and started squealing, reaching for Declan first.

"D" she shouted

The teenager reached out his left arm allowing the toddler to enter his embrace. She wrapped her arms around his neck and squealed again as she said 'D' over and over again.

"Hey pretty girl what about me?" Ethan asked as he gave his baby sister a pouty face

Penny giggled and then reached for her brunette brother as she shouted, "E"

Ethan reached for the blonde toddler as she threw herself towards him. She patted his chest several times as she giggled and the eleven year old smiled brightly.

"Okay baby girl I think that's enough excitement for your brothers right now" Garcia said as she reached out to take Penny from Ethan

"Can I get a kiss first Penny?" Ethan asked

The toddler puckered her lips before Ethan gave her a kiss, making a smacking sound as he did to make her laugh.

Garcia smiled at the interaction before she took the toddler from the brunette boy.

"What about me P? Do I get a kiss?" Declan asked as he tickled his baby sister in her side

She giggled but turned and puckered her lips. Declan kissed her before moving slightly and making blowing noises next to her ear causing her to laugh even louder.

"Alright let's move this party inside" Jessica said, still standing in the doorway to Rossi's house

Everyone moved inside and slowly made their way to the kitchen where Rossi and Hotch were gathering items for the dinner they were going to have in a couple of hours.

"Hi dad" Jack said happily as they walked up

"Hey champ" Hotch replied with a smile

Everyone sat around talking for awhile and later they all ate dinner together. By the time dinner was finished the group could see the toll it was taking on Ethan, Declan, and Morgan. They were all trying to fight it, but Hotch and Rossi finally spoke up and ordered everyone to get ready for bed.

Ethan and Jack both begged Hotch to stay the night, so the team leader finally relented and Rossi helped get them set up in the room adjacent to the boy's. Once everyone was settled Declan and Ethan took turns taking a real shower for the first time since the whole ordeal had happened. Hotch helped get Declan's wrist wrapped up to keep it dry while he showered. Then once he got out the lead agent helped bandage Declan's shoulder back up so that the risk of an infection would stay down, before helping the teenager get into a button up pajama top.

Once Ethan got out of the shower, Hotch helped him bandage his incision site across his chest and ribs, as well as his head. He then helped the boys get into bed. Rossi walked into the bedroom with some glasses of water and pain medication for Declan and Ethan. After the two boys took their allotted doses, Henry came into the room, looking especially tired as well as he climbed into the bed next to Ethan's.

"Uncle Aaron can Jack sleep in here too?" Ethan asked as the lead agent tucked him in

"Please dad" Jack said from the doorway of the bedroom and bathroom

"Okay" Hotch replied with a shrug

Jack immediately smiled and raced over to Ethan's bed as he jumped on top of it before snuggling down under the covers with his best friend.

"Jack I don't think there's enough room in there for both of you" Hotch said

"Sure there is" Ethan answered

"I don't want you to accidently hit Ethan while he's sleeping"

"I won't dad" Jack replied

"I give up" Hotch said as he threw his hands in the air, looking over at Rossi

"Well they have been without each other for a few weeks now" Rossi pointed out

"I know" said Hotch as he leaned over to turn out the bedside lamp

"NO" all three Prentiss-Jareau boys shouted at the same time

Hotch looked from one boy to the other, "Okay. I'll leave it on"

He could see the relief on all three boy's faces when he turned and walked away from the lamp. Hotch stepped out of the bedroom leaving the door cracked slightly. He stood in the hallway with Rossi for a moment as they shook their heads.

"Tonight should be interesting" stated Hotch

Theo older man nodded, "At least they have each other"

"I don't know if that's good or bad at this point"

"True. Well I guess we will see how it goes"

This time Hotch nodded before saying, "Well shall we go downstairs and see the others out?"

"I suppose so"

The two men turned and walked down the hall before joining the other adults downstairs for awhile longer before everyone went their separate ways.

Later that night Declan woke up in a cold sweat. The teenager jerked up in bed, his heart racing, drenched in sweat, and breathing heavily. His blue eyes scanned the room as he finally remembered he was at Rossi's house. He looked over at his brothers and saw Henry sitting up in bed, awake.

"H…you okay?" he said quietly across the room

The seven year old turned towards his older brother and he slowly shrugged his shoulders.

"What's wrong?" the teenager asked

Henry shrugged again, "Can't sleep"

"Me neither" Declan replied, "Wanna talk about it?"

The little blonde shook his head.

"Okay. Want me to tell you a story?"

"About what?" the younger boy asked

"Hmmm….what about how our moms fell in love? You like that one right?" the older blonde asked

Henry nodded with a smile.

"Okay then" the teenager said also with a smile before he began to tell the story about how their two mothers fell in love, accompanied of course in a fairy tale land where everyone lives happily ever after.

Declan looked over at his baby brother about half way through the story and noticed he had fallen back asleep. The teenager then shifted around in his own bed trying to get comfortable even though his shoulder was hurting him immensely.

Meanwhile Ethan had been lying awake listening to Declan tell the story about his mothers. He didn't want anyone to know that he hadn't fallen asleep yet even though he was extremely tired. He was afraid to fall asleep because he knew the nightmares would come. He began to shift around in his bed, trying his best not to wake Jack, but to no avail.

"Ethan?" Jack questioned sleepily

"Go back to sleep Jack" Ethan said quietly

"What's wrong?" his friend asked as he began to wake up a little more

"Nothing"

"Did you have a bad dream?" Jack asked, not giving in

"No"

"E"

Both boys were silent for a moment as Ethan debated whether or not to tell Jack what was wrong.

"Ethan you can tell me. I can keep a secret" Jack said, finally speaking up as he rolled onto his side to face his friend

Ethan was facing Jack and slowly brown eyes met brown.

"I'm afraid to go to sleep because of bad dreams" the older brunette finally admitted

The caramel haired boy looked sadly at his best friend, "Well I'll be right here and I promise to protect you if you have a bad dream. I won't let anything happen to you"

The two boys stared at each other for awhile before Ethan replied, "I don't want anyone to know though"

"I won't tell. And I'll wake you up before anyone finds out. But you don't have to be scared E, I'll be right here" Jack told his best friend as he placed a comforting hand on Ethan's shoulder

"Thanks Jack"

"Always"

Ethan slowly let his eyes close and Jack left his hand on his friends shoulder as he watched him finally succumb to sleep. A little while later Jack fell back asleep also, his hand never leaving his friend.

The next morning Hotch walked into the boy's bedroom and found Henry asleep curled up next to Declan in the teenager's bed. He then looked over at Jack and Ethan and couldn't help but smile, yet feel saddened at the same time, at the sight before him. The two boys were both sprawled on their stomachs, Ethan facing the wall and Jack facing Ethan. To top it off Jack had his right arm thrown across Ethan's back, obviously in an attempt to help the Prentiss boy feel safe.

The dark haired man then snuck out of the bedroom. As he was closing the door to the bedroom he turned and came face to face with Morgan.

"How are the boys?" the dark agent asked

"Well they've doubled up in bed and I'm pretty sure I heard a couple of them have nightmares in the middle of the night, but when I got to the door I could hear some of them talking. I don't think they really want us to know that they are still having them"

Morgan nodded, "Yeah I thought I heard something in the middle of the night, but when I listened more intently it sounded like Declan telling a story"

Hotch nodded, "I heard that too"

Morgan was about to follow Hotch down the hall, but first he stopped and peeked in on the boys himself. When he turned back to the dark haired man he smiled slightly.

"You know that would be a cute picture of Ethan and Jack, also of Declan and Henry, if it was under different circumstances" the dark skinned man stated

Hotch nodded again, "I thought the same thing"

Morgan then followed Hotch down the hall. As they got to the staircase they heard a slight cry from the bedroom next to Rossi's, which is where Penny was.

"I'll get her" Hotch told Morgan as he motioned for the other man to go ahead and head downstairs

The dark haired man then opened the bedroom door and found the blonde toddler standing up in her crib, her stuffed raccoon held tightly to her chest. When she saw Hotch she smiled and held her arms out to him.

Hotch smiled at the little blonde as he reached to pick her up, placing a kiss on her forehead as he lifted her into his arms.

"Hey angel, what do you say we get you changed and then get you some breakfast" he said talking to the girl as he laid her on the changing table to get her cleaned up

"Mama?" she questioned as she looked up at him with big blue eyes

He sighed as he looked down at the small toddler, "Your mama's are still gone angel, but you get to spend some quality time with all your uncles, and your Grandpa Dave"

"I heard that Aaron"

Hotch turned towards the doorway to find Rossi standing there dressed in jeans and white button up shirt.

"Well, come on Dave, could you ask for a more beautiful granddaughter?"

Rossi shook his head, "Nope I don't think I could"

The older man walked towards them just as Hotch finished changing her. Penny squealed when she saw the older man before throwing her arms up towards him.

"I just can't say no to you little heartbreaker" Rossi said as he scooped the little blonde up into his arms and kissing her cheek

Penny giggled before rubbing her cheek with her hand and turning away from him.

"Oh I see how it is" he said with a smile

Hotch grinned at the two as he said, "Well Dave not all women like the facial hair"

"Haha, very funny Aaron" Rossi said sarcastically as the two men made their way out of the bedroom and down the stairs for some breakfast.

The next couple of days went by fairly fast. Hotch and Rossi got the downstairs bed made up for Emily, planning on putting her there when she was released. Then they got another bed made up in the living area just outside that bedroom, where they would put Reid. They figured JJ would most likely insist on being upstairs in the bedroom adjacent to the boys, even though they didn't think she should be going up and down the stairs quite yet. But they decided even if she needed to stay downstairs the first few nights they could set up another bed in the living area next to Reid's. As much as the two women would probably fight it, they both knew they wouldn't be able to share a bed for awhile due to their injuries, specifically Emily's.

JJ was finally released from the hospital and she spent the first couple of nights in the bedroom downstairs. Jack refused to leave Ethan's side, so he and Hotch stayed at the house at night as well. The boys were all waking up more often with nightmares, but Rossi, Hotch, and Morgan would all come to their rescue.

Finally at the end of the week Emily was released and a few days after that Reid was finally released. The men got Emily set up in the downstairs bedroom and the first couple of nights she was there JJ slept in the bed in the living room, just outside her wife's room, just in case she needed anything. The boys were extremely happy that both of their mothers were home and careful hugs were exchanged all around. However, everyone noticed the way Emily distanced herself, not only from JJ and the team, but also the kids.

When Reid arrived, JJ did insist on being upstairs closer to the boys. She knew Emily was distancing herself but she also knew the boys needed her. The first night she slept in the room adjacent to the boys, was also the first night that Hotch and Jack didn't stay the night, so she figured Ethan might come and join her sometime during the night. However, the next morning she didn't have anyone else in bed with her, so she got up and snuck inside the boys' room. She found Declan asleep in his bed, but when she looked over at the other two, she saw Ethan asleep on his back with Henry curled into his side, the blonde's head on Ethan's shoulder, and his little arm thrown across his brother's chest.

JJ sighed as she looked at her boys. Their family was so broken now, on a level that she didn't know they would ever overcome. She closed her eyes and said a silent prayer that they would all make it through this tragedy and still be able to be one solid family.

* * *

><p>AN: Hope you all enjoyed it. Sorry if it seems rushed towards the end. My advice to all is to not stop a story and try to finish it nearly 6 months later. Your mind doesn't remember everything you had planned for it, lol. Anyways I will be doing a follow up story at some point, but no idea when that will happen.


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